The tiger is the national animal of India. The tiger is a symbol of courage as the animal isn’t one who backs out when challenged or scared. The tiger population diminished to 1411 in 2006 and caused an alarm among the people of the country. However, the population is estimated to be somewhere around 2226 and this was the figure collected through studies in 2014. India is the proud habitat of about 70% of tigers in the world. The National Tiger Conservation Authority should be congratulated for their continued efforts in this matter.
5. Sundarbans National Park – West Bengal
The Sundarbans form the largest mangrove forests in the world and is created by the deltas of the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. The Royal Bengal tigers roam freely in the marshlands. It is an amazing place with beautiful estuaries and roaring rivers. As many as 400 tigers call these dense mangrove forests filled with the ‘Sundari’ trees their home. The place offers the rawest wildlife experience. Many of the tigers have man-eating tendencies as human habitat has encroached upon the lands of these fearless beasts. It is easy to spot chital and leopards as well. Saltwater crocodiles can also be found in these marshy lands.
4. Kanha National Park – Madhya Pradesh
The Kanha National Park is picturesque and huge. The place is home to the Barasingha deer, which is now an endangered species. There are lots of other animals that can be spotted here, including gaur, chital, jackal, black buck, wild pig, leopard, chinkara and even the striped hyena. The tiger shows are common where the elephants are trained to block the tigers for tourists to have a good look at them. Kanha is among the most amazing tiger reserves in the country.
3. Jim Corbett national Park – Uttarakhand
The park spans the foothills of the Himalayas. Though the tiger population is not very dense, the park is quite popular. The park is quite dusty and the place is known for its large elephant population. They can be seen near the Ramganga river. The terrain of the place is amazing. It varies from sal forests to marshes. Some other animals that can be spotted here include the langur, chital, sambhar and macaque. There are huge grasslands and watchtowers to observe wildlife.
2. Ranthambore National Park – Rajasthan
The Ranthambore National Park is one of the most famous tiger reserves in the country and covers about 1443 sq km. Most of the tourism advertisements that feature tigers are shot in the Ranthambore. It is easy to spot wild cats, Indian foxes, hyenas, jackals, sloth bears and crocodiles. The three lakes inside the sanctuary – Raj talao, Padam talao and malik talao act as the converging place for the wildlife here.
1. Bandhavgarh National Park – Madhya Pradesh
The Bandhavgarh National Park has the highest density of tigers anywhere in the country. It is located in Umaria district and became a national park in 1986. It was known for the white tigers, but they were all captured, the last one in 1951 by Maharaja Martand Singh. There are some other animals here as well, including the blue bull, sloths, Indian bison. rhesus monkeys and leopards. Surely you can spot tigers in the zoon. But the animals in captivity cannot be compared to the ones in the wild. If you would like to watch one in action, you should head out to one of these wildlife sanctuaries soon.
