Wildlife
India’s true wealth lies in its rich diversity of wildlife.
The natural wealth of the Indian subcontinent has remained unique, mysterious and
fascinating for nature lovers. Variety of India's wildlife can be seen in the 80
national parks, 441 sanctuaries and 23 tiger reserves established by the Government
of India in an attempt to conserve this vital resource. The sight and sounds of
a majestic elephant, a peacock’s dance, the stride of a camel, the roar of
a tiger are unparalleled experiences in themselves. Watching birds and animals in
their natural habitats is an experience in itself. A paradise for the nature lovers,
these forest areas are also crucial for the conversation of the endangered species
like the Leopard, Lion, Asiatic Elephant, the Bengal tiger and Siberian Crane. Spread
across the length and breadth of India, these reserves and forest areas, right from
the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan to the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary
in Bihar, from the foothills of Himalayas, the Jim Corbett National Park to six
national parks in Andaman; the Indian Wildlife circuit is an Incredible treat, unmatched
by any other experience. Other exotic animals that you will see are leopards, snow
leopards, the red panda, sloth bears, nilgai, gharial, and many species of deer,
monkeys and birds. Whether it's the animals, birds, butterflies or the unique vegetation,
everything just makes one feel to be in heaven. What makes the experience even more
enthralling is that most Indian sanctuaries can be explored on elephant back as
well as by jeeps. India harbors eighty percent of the entire population of the one
horned rhinoceros in the world. The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary is an ideal habitat
for the rhino and a popular destination with the naturalists and environmentalists
as well as the wildlife traveller. India has its fair share of Tiger Reserves. India’s
National Animal, the tiger happens to be a symbol of strength and speed. India boasts
of two-dozen Tiger Reserves.
Sixty percent of the total population of the wild tigers of the world resides in
India. Amongst the best-known tiger reserves in India is the Bandhavgarh in Madhya
Pradesh. It is often referred to as the crown in the wildlife heritage of India.
The highly successful Project Tiger has shown once again that man can only undo
in small ways the loss and destruction of natural habitat due to continuous growth
and expansion of the population. Indian wildlife has its share of native birds along
with the migratory birds. Several hundred species of birds can be spotted across
India. The Himalayan region is well known to be the natural habitat for the Pheasant,
griffon vulture and ravens. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park popularly known as
the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in the Indian state of Rajasthan, in close proximity
of Delhi, is home to indigenous water birds, waterside birds, migratory water birds,
land migratory birds, and domestic land species.
