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Bandhavgarh used to be the hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa, though its history goes back two millennia. In caves you can still see paintings by the ancients. It is a retreat where history and nature meet.

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Bandipur National Park in Karnataka is a tiger reserve with an area of 900 square km. In the dense moist deciduous forests of this area the upper canopy reaches heights of 30m and valuable hardwoods like teak and rosewood are also to be found here.

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Nestling in the foothils of the Himalayas, the tiger reserve extends over an area of 1200 sq. km. The Ramganga River flows through the park and little forest streams tumble through the ravines. While dense stands of sal cloak the higher ridges, mixed deciduous forests are found throughout the park.

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"Project Tiger" was launched here in 1973. In addition to tigers, leopards and elephants, four species of deer - hog deer, sambar, chital and barking deer - are found here. Besides these, Corbett is a haven for 50 mammals, 580 kinds of birds and 25 reptile species. Basking along the banks of the Ramganga are the fish-eating gharial and the mugger or marsh crocodile. The river is rich in the golden mahaseer - although angling is not permitted inside the National Park.

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Dudhwa had, in the recent past, been facing problems of encroachment and poaching, both of which have had an adverse effect on the park’s ecology. Swamp deer populations, especially, had fallen, but recent surveys show that the park’s recovering, slowly but surely.

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Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary set up for the preservation of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. The main inhabitant of the park is Nilgiri Tahr. Now the park has the largest known population of Tahr's existing in the world. The park also shelters Atlas Moth, Elephants, Sambhar's, Gaurs, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri, Langur, Tigers and Leopards.

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Located in the south-west fringes of the Saurashtra Peninsula, The Gir National Park is a haven to about 300 Asiatic Lions which is their last surviving population.This area flanked with three unique and unusual reserves, the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary; the Rann of Kutch and the Flamingo Islands which is home to the flamingo, make it a very interesting tourist spot.

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Hemmed in on three sides by the towering peaks of the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh's Great Himalayan National Park is undoubtedly the place to go for a rendezvous with the wildlife of these mountains. Here, amidst dense forests of blue pine and cedar, in high alpine meadows and mountain slopes which remain covered with snow throughout the year, lives one of the densest and most impressive populations of Himalayan wildlife.

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The Kanha National Park is located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh that covers nearly 2,000 sq. km. of undulating country. Elevations range from 450 to 900 metres. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha's central maidans-grasslands.

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Situated on the Brahmaputra River, the Kaziranga National Park covers an area of about 430 sq. km. Its swamps and grasslands with tall thickets of elephant grass and patches of evergreen forest, support the largest number of rhino in the subcontinent.

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Keoladeo Ghana, Bharatpur harbours some of India’s richest birdlife, including the gorgeous shocking-pink tinted painted stork, several species of cormorants, egrets, pelicans, ibises, cranes, ducks and geese. One can see over 350 species of birds, both native as well as migratory. Among the latter, the highly endangered Siberian Cranes, which come to nest in winter, are the rarest. Bharatpur is the Siberian Crane’s only known wintering ground in India; at last count, only 2 cranes nested at the park, definitely a cause for worry.

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The hilly terrain of the Western Ghats, clothed in dense mixed and moist deciduous forests, make Mudumalai (the ancient hills) a most attractive wildlife reserve. The Mysore-Ooty highway runs through the Park, following the course of the Moyar River, which separates Mudumalai from Bandipur. Just 321 sq. km. in area the hilly terrain provides diverse habitats.

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Nagarhole's vegetation is refreshingly different from Bandipur's dry scrub- moist deciduous forests, including bamboo, teak, eucalyptus and cassia, cover much of the sanctuary, providing a refuge for a wide range of animals and birds. Nagarhole has all the resident wildlife of the Nilgiri hills: Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, bison, leopard, Asian elephant, wild boar, deer, dhole (wild dog) and porcupine, besides tigers. A high canopy of trees- up to thirty metres tall in some places- harbours rare birds such as the endangered Malabar trogon, the Malabar pied hornbill and the crested hawk-eagle.

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Panna National Park is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the best in the region. The river Ken passes through the park, adding to its scenic beauty. You can see tigers, sloth bear, march crocodile, cinkara, sambhar and chital. Bird life in this park is extremely rich and varied.

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This is the land that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write that all-time favourite, "The Jungle Book" - walk through Pench and one can imagine Mowgli swinging through the trees and almost hear the roar of Sher Khan. Situated on the border of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Maharashtra, the Pench National Park is as well-known for the abundance of flora and fauna found within the park as the varied species of wildlife. Named after the river that flows nearby, Pench was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1983 and in 1992, Pench was included under the umbrella of "Project Tiger" as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve.

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Periyar National Park & Tiger Reserve is set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats in Kerala. The park has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a perennial source of water for the local wildlife.

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One of the reasons for Rajaji’s popularity is that it’s conveniently situated for anybody coming from Delhi. The national capital is only 231 km from the park, and there are convenient overnight trains from Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun, from where there are connecting buses to Rajaji. Similarly, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, is linked by bus to Haridwar and Dehradun. From Rajaji, the nearest airport is Jolly Grant, at Dehradun, while the most convenient railheads are Haridwar and Dehradun. Both have railway connections to the rest of the country.

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Ranthambhor used to be the hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Today, it is famous for its tigers and is one of the best places in the country to see these majestic predators in the wild. The tigers can be easily spotted even during the day. A good time to visit between November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common.
The Park which covers an area of nearly 400 sq. km. and is set between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The terrain is rugged and there are rocky ridges, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools.

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Royal Chitwan National Park (‘Chitwan’ means "in the heart of the jungle’) covers 932 sq. km. in the flat lowland region of southern Nepal. It is one of the most important sub-tropical parks on the Indian subcontinent with populations of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, Greater One-horned rhinoceros, Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Wild Asian elephant, Gaur, Golden Monitor lizard, Gharial crocodile and many more.

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Sultanpur, 46 kms to the south-west of Delhi, is a green haven with a lake and wild birds. Sultanpur was declared a water-bird reserve in 1972 and its grounds are lush with lawns and trees and shrubs and masses of bougainvillea. It is recommended to spend some time in the small museum and library in the reserve, as one gets a fair idea of the birds and creatures you are likely to see during your visit to the reserve. A good pair of binoculars is a must to clearly observe the wildlife from a safe distance, without disturbing them.

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Sunderbans is home to nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers. Part of the forest lies in Bangladesh and it is estimated that the combined population of tigers in the region could be about 400. Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the park are good swimmers.

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This part of Uttaranchal, in the upper reaches of Garhwal, is inaccessible through much of the year. But when the snows melt and the monsoon arrives, the earth comes to life- all along the Bhyundar Ganga river. For miles on end, flowers- orchids, poppies, primulas, calendulas, daisies and anemones among them- in every conceivable colour, carpet the ground. Alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover a part of the area, and are home to tahr, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, common langur, bharal, serow, and Himalayan black bear. They're elusive, though, and a trek through the Valley may not result in actually seeing much wildlife other than the myriad butterflies which flutter over the blossoms.

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