Wildlife Tours in India

Thanks to a vast variation in geography and climate, India has exciting diversity in habitats and wildlife with nearly 350 mammals, 2100 species of birds and thousands of fish and reptiles. Of the highly endangered species, India has 55% of world’s tiger population, 50% of Asiatic Elephant, 60% of One-horned Rhino and 100% of Asiatic Lion. Unlike Africa where all major species have almost exclusive habitats, in India, they co-exist in the wildlife parks providing excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Today India has 100 major National Parks, 441 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 9 bird reserves and 15 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves dotted around the country. In India you are never very far from a wildlife reserve. Most of these wildlife parks and sanctuaries have good accommodation facilities available within their premises or nearby. Depending on the area and terrain, wildlife watching may be done from elephant-back, jeeps, watchtowers or even boats.

Wildlife Tours

Besides the common animals such as sambar deer, wild boar, chital deer, various species of monkeys, etc, India is a great destination for a number of large mammals. Wild elephant is found in good numbers at the foothills of the Himalayas and the great forests of the Western Ghats. Rhinoceros roams free in the wilds of North-Eastern India.

India is also the last hope of tiger before it gets extinct. The big cat is found throughout India — the swamps of the Sunderbans, the foothills of the Himalayas, the Central Indian Plains or the forests of South India. For Asiatic Lion too, Gir Forest of Gujarat is the last remaining habitat. Of the other big cats, panther and leopard are commonly found in India, while the snow leopard is found only in the Higher Himalayas.

Birding and Orchid Tours

India is also very rich in bird-life; flocks of remarkable birds can be sighted in the various sanctuaries and national parks. In particular, the sighting is good during the winter months due to the presence of a large number of migratory birds.

Over 1,600 species of orchids are found in India, which constitute almost 10 percent of the world orchid flora. Many orchid sanctuaries and orchidariums have been established in the main orchid-rich regions of the North-East India and the Western Ghats.

Wildlife Sample Itinerary: Land of the Tiger

• Begin the tour in Delhi or Mumbai
• Fly to Nagpur and drive to Kanha National Park, Asia’s finest protected area and home to 22 species of mammals and 220 species of birds
• Drive to Bandhavgarh National Park where the density of tiger population is the highest known in India
• Drive to Panna Tiger Reserve which is home to numerous species of mammals, birds and reptiles
• Take a train to Agra and visit the stunning Taj Mahal
• Drive to Ranthambore National Park, a former private hunting preserve of the Maharajas and one of the best places in the country to see the majestic tiger
• Drive to Jaipur where past comes alive in magnificent forts and palaces

Birding Sample Itinerary: Winged Wonders

• Delhi with its Old and New parts — each with its specific charm and glory — makes a very interesting city for its sustenance to medieval and modern cultures at the same time and space
• Take a short train to Agra, visit Taj Mahal, and continue to Chambal Sanctuary, which has an impressive bird list of over 330 species of resident and migratory birds
• Drive to Ramathra where Kalisil Lake is a big attraction for water birds
• Drive to Bharatpur and visit Keoladeo Sanctuary which is Asia’s finest birding areas with over 380 resident and migrant species of birds
• Drive to Delhi and take an overnight train to Corbett National Park in the Himalayan foothills which is famous for its birds with over 500 species
• Drive to Nainital region, which is unique for its biodiversity and ecological amplitude with more than 1000 species of resident and migratory birds
• Drive to Itmenaan Estate set in rural Himalayan region for few nights in leisure before returning to Delhi