WILDLIFE TOURS IN INDIA - PAGE 1

Wildlife in India has a unique status worldwide. With about 441 small & big Wildlife Sanctuaries and 80 National Parks spread around the country, it is the second largest base for bio diversity in the world. The wildlife sanctuaries cover about 90,000 sq km in India and are home to the largest number of tigers and one-horned rhinoceros in the world. It also houses more than 450 species of mammals, over 2000 species of birds, over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians and about 25000 species of insects.

With its extraordinary diversity in natural geography - remote mountains, big forests, moist evergreen foothills, rainforests and dry scrub, desert and mangrove swamps India has become one of the major wildlife destinations of the world and attracts visitors from all around the world.

The wildlife in India can be witnessed in the Wildlife sanctuaries which were established in India in the pursuit of conserving Indian wildlife, which was suffering from the ecological imbalances due to human activities such as hydel projects, farming, deforestation etc. These areas are inhabiting wildlife protected by the Government of India and some of them are declared National Parks.

National Parks provide ample opportunities to the visitors to have a close encounter with the wilds in their natural habitat. What is more important with the Indian National Parks is the variance that they are equipped within terms of flora-fauna and the terrain. The natural surroundings can be witnessed on an elephant or inside a jeep well protected.

Some of the major parks and sanctuary in India are as follows:-

Corbett National Park

Location - Foothills of the Himalayas about 300 kms from Delhi.

Flora & Fauna - Tigers, Leopards, Elephants are available apart from deer, wild boar, leopard cats etc. Sal trees are mostly available. The Langur and Rhesus Monkeys are abundantly available and they give alarm calls when these spot any Tiger or Leopard.

General Info. - Established in 1936, it is the India's first National Park and the first sanctuary to come under Project Tiger. It is named in the honor of the legendary naturalist and photographer Late Jim Corbett.

Wildlife Viewing - The best way to view the wildlife inside the park is Jeep Safari. The jeep can be rented from Ramnagar, from the tourist lodges where you are staying. Ramnagar is the nearest town situated on the southeastern fringes of the park. The main administrative office of the park also lies here.

Alternatively you can also go for an elephant ride into the deep forest areas during dusk or dawn.

Best time to Visit- November to May

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