Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)

Area : 400 sq km approx./ 39,200 hectares.
Established : 1955 as a sanctuary, 1973 as a tiger reserve, 1981 as a national park.

Description:
Ranthambore National Park is situated in India. s northwestern state of Rajasthan, near the town of Sawai Madhopur, midway between Bharatpur and Kota townships. It is surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges and is very near to the outer fringes of the Thar Desert. The entire area has sprawling tracts of the desert and semi-desert vegetation. Originally a hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Ranthambore was declared a game sanctuary in 1955. In 1980, it became a national park and listed among the reserves protected under Project Tiger (1973). Presently the Kaila Devi Sanctuary, also famous for its tigers, and Mansingh Sanctuary also form part of Ranthambore Reserve.

Ranthambore National Park sprawls over an estimated area of 400 sq kms. Steep crags embrace a network of lakes and rivers, and a top one of these hills, is the impressive Ranthambore Fort, built in the 10th century. The terrain fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bushland. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with dhok, being the most prominent tree. The entry point to the Ranthambore National Park, goes straight to the foot of the fort and the forest rest house, Jogi Mahal. The latter boasts of the second-largest banyan tree in India. The Padam Talab, the Raj Bagh Talab and the Malik Talab are some of the lakes in the area, that attract the tiger population. They have been spotted at the edges of these lakes, and Jogi Mahal itself. Old crumbling walls, ruined pavilions, wells, and other ancient structures stand witness to the region's glorious past. The entire forest is peppered with the battlements and spillovers of the Ranthambore Fort - tigers are said to frequent these ruins, too. As a result of stringent efforts in conservation, tigers, the prime assets of the Park, have become more and more active during the day. More than in any other park or sanctuary in India, tigers are easily spotted here in daylight. They can be seen lolling around lazily in the sun, or feverishly hunting down Sambar around the lakes

SUNDERBAN NATIONAL PARK (Bengal)
 

Description :
Some believe that the name Sunderbans is derived from 'Sundri' - a plant found in the local mangroves - and 'bans' meaning forest. Others believe the name means 'beautiful forest' ('sunder' = beautiful, and 'bans' = forest). The Sunderbans, extending over an area of 1,000,000 hectares, is the world's largest delta, formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghana rivers. The region has extensive mangrove forests and the contours are in a constant state of flux, caused by the monsoon flooding each year. Roughly a third of the delta is water, consisting of rivers, channels and tidal creeks up to 5 kilometers wide. The Sunderbans falls both within the India and Bangladesh, the latter having the larger share of the delta. On the Indian side there is a national park overlooking the Bay of Bengal.

The Sunderbans West, South and East wildlife sanctuaries in Bangladesh are also at the southern extremities of the delta. The Sunderbans parks are covered in mangrove forests of which there are 3 main zones, depending on the level of salt in the soil and water a freshwater zone, a moderately saline zone, and a saline zone. Fishing, timber extraction and honey collection are the main human activities allowed within the Sunderbans. The four Sunderbans national parks have been lumped together as they all share common features of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem. The main attractions of the Sunderbans are the Tiger, of which the delta harbor large reptiles like the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and the Olive Ridley Turtle, for which there is a conservation programme in the Indian park. The Leopard, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer and Water Buffalo have all become locally extinct from the delta in recent decades.

Season :
The best time to visit Sunderbans is during winters between September and March.

Access :
The Sunderbans are not easily accessible. To get to the Sunderbans national park in India the nearest airport is Calcutta, the nearest railway station is Canning, and the nearest town is Gosaba. From the park headquarters at Canning take the country motor launch (5 hours) to Sajnekhali

PALAMU TIGER RESERVE (Bihar)

Spread over an area of approximately 1026 sq. km., Palamau Tiger Reserve is located within the civil administrative district of Palamau in the South Chhotanagpur plateau of Bihar. The undulating terrain is set off by sal forests and thickets of bamboo. The circuitous Koel River and its tributaries meander through the park.

The undulating terrain is set off by sal forests and thickets of bamboo.

Though the Koel River and its tributaries cut through the Park, the animals are mostly dependant on man-made water holes for their needs and viewing them is consequently quite easy.

Predators like the tiger and leopard, and elephant, gaur, sambar, muntjac and nilgai are found at the Park.

Fauna :

Palamau has the distinction of being the forest where the world's first tiger census was conducted by way of pugmarks, in 1934. Large herds of Gaur & Chital are commonly seen. Elephants are present mostly after the monsoon upto the time when the water holes begin to dry up in March. Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Bear, Sambar, Nilgai, Deer are also permanent residents.

Palamau National Park is now a part of one of nine tiger reserves in India, under "Project Tiger”. Man-animal conflicts, caused largely by elephants are a major problem and pose Project Tiger with one of its greatest challenges

The Corbett National Park (Uttranchal)

The Corbett National Park, where Project Tiger was launched in 1973, is regarded as India's finest national park and its major attractions are the Tiger, Indian Elephant and Leopard.Corbett national park is drained by the Ramganga river, the dam at Kalagarh forming a huge lake to the west of the national park. The park is essentially a large low valley.

A range of hills runs through the middle of the national park, roughly east to west. The forests are moist deciduous, with Sal as the dominant tree.Chir Pine trees are to be found on the higher ridges of the hills. On the low-lying areas riverine forests, with Shisham and Khair trees, are intermixed with grasslands known locally as 'Chaurs'
 

Project Tiger(Corbett National Park):
The overage area of the park was 520-sq-kms in 1986, and a proposed extension of 588-sq-kms is under consideration. Project Tiger, which was set up with the help of the World Wildlife Fund, was launched at Dhikala, in the Corbett National Park on April 1, 1973. This project was aimed at saving the Indian tiger from extinction. Over 50 mammals, 580 birds and 25 reptile species have been listed in the Corbett National Park.The insect life is also astounding, noticeably specially after the monsoons. But undoubtedly, the jewel of the Corbett is the Indian tiger. It was estimated that in 1984, the tiger population was 90 in this national park.

Corbett was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. White Tigers, in human and cattle population in the beginning of the 20th century led to the disturbance of this balance, and the first man-eaters started appearing. Soon the numbers of these man-eaters increased and Kumaon became famous.

The Gir national park (Gujarat)

A rich and old forest, predominantly covered by very tall teak trees, mango groves and gigantic creepers comprises the Vansda National Park. The forest is extremely dense and some parts are dark even during normal daytime.

THE WILD POPULATION
The forest is a habitat of monkeys, deer, a few leopards and a wide species of birds. Hyenas, wild boar, sambhar, four horned antelopes and a rich variety of bird and plant life are also found here.
Permission is required to enter the park.The Gir wildlife sanctuary and national park, collectively referred to as the Gir Protected Area (PA), is located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat in western India

The Gir national park is a heaven to about 300 Asiatic lions. The Lion, Panther Leo, inhabits the forest of Gir in the Saurashtra peninsula, attracting sixty thousand visitors to this sanctuary of Gujarat every year. Gir today is the only place in the world, outside Africa, where the lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The Asiatic lion is slightly smaller than its African cousin, nevertheless, a large male lion of the Gir is quite a sight to behold. The best way to observe the big cats is, of course, in their natural surroundings, at dawn and dusk, when they are on the prowl. Wildlife viewing in the Girs is best done, by driving around the forest.

Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

Description (Bandhavgarh National Park):
A wildlife retreat where history and nature meet, Bandhavgarh is too far away from Kanha. Set amidst the Vindhyan ranges, the park has a series of ridges running through it. This park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. White Tigers, now a major attraction around the world's zoos, were first discovered in Rewa, not far from here. The terrain is broken, with rocky hill ranges, running roughly east west, interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys.

Bandhavgarh National Park(Attractions):
Much of the park is covered in Sal forest, replaced by mixed forests in the higher elevations of the hills. There are extensive stands of bamboo and grasslands. Generally the forests are less dense here, with less undergrowth than in North India, thus offering better sightings of wildlife, notably mammals, including the daylight sightings of Tigers in the grassy 'maidans'. 40 + Tigers are estimated for the park.

Other inhabitants of the park include the Muntajac, Jungle Cat, Ratel, Jyena, Porcupine, the Rhesus Macaque and the back-faced Langur. The park also has numerous ancient caves and rock shelters, with shrines and inscriptions. About 150 species of birds known from the Tala area are also found over here including the Brown Fish Owl, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Malabar Pied Hornbill and Shahin Falcon.

The National park is dominated by the ancient Bandhavgarh Fort, located on a plateau and reached after a steep climb. The fort is now in ruins, its monuments and tanks beings gradually reclaimed by the forest, thus providing additional shelter for wildlife such as Black Bucks

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