And you thought that the only place where you could see a tusker or have a tête-à-tête with a cobra would be in the wild? Hold your breath, as the wildlife in India is not confined to the jungles. It is not surprising to see an elephant ambling between traffic or a decorated camel strolling in the streets. Strip your senses of any order and be prepared for the most bizarre encounters with wildlife in India. Here are some of the places where you might meet your jungle friends.
Mysore Dusherra
The festival of Dusherra is celebrated amongst fervid excitement in the southern city of Mysore. One of the fascinating parts of this festival is a parade of richly decorated elephants that takes place in the city over two days. Amongst such a grand show, it’s not hard to miss the King who takes the royal ride atop the main elephant.
 |
| Wild Elephant in Mysore Dusherra |
Camel Fair in Pushkar
One would think of the camel as an elusive creature making painstaking journeys in the arid deserts of Rajasthan. If you want a more intimate meeting, head straight to the Pushkar Fair where camels are traded amidst a hullabaloo of dealers from all over the state.
 |
| Resting Camel in Camel Fair in Pushkar |
Spot a Tiger
The very lucky can see the famous Indian tiger is in the wild. Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Corbett in Uttarakhand and all the national parks in the Deccan state of Madhya Pradesh are known for tiger sightings.
 |
| Royal Bangal Tiger casual walk |
Kambala Buffalo Race
Though the buffalo is largely a domestic animal in India, a fascinating festival in south India sees them in cut throat competition of races in the beginning of the year. These buffalo races are over 1000 years old and very traditional to these regions.
 |
| Wild Buffalo in Kambala Buffalo Race |
One-horned Rhinoceros
Some special species like the one horned rhinoceros can only be found in the north east national park, Kaziranga, where the population of these is over 1500 with a strict conservation programme. Its examples like these that put faith in India’s conservation systems for the dwindling population of various animals.
 |
| One Horned Rhino in North east national park, Kaziranga |
Snake Charmers of India
Less common than they used to be, you may still encounter the snake charmers with their baskets and assortment of snakes. Many of them often carry cobras which are made to dance to the tune of an instrument and used to collect money. If not on the streets, you can find them near temples.
 |
| King Cobra in Rajasthan |
Kokkare Belur
A fascinating village off Bangalore hosts hundreds of pelicans, which have made this village their permanent home. With no trace of a water body close by for fish or any other reason why they should adopt this village, these pelicans are permanent residents here.
 |
| Resting Pelican in Kokkare Belur |
The best way to see wildlife in India is in the widespread national parks of the country. Names like Gir, Ranthambore, Corbett, Pench and Bandhavgarh are just a few where conservation work is in full swing but the rest of India is also dotted with many of them.
The zoos of India are ideal for entertaining children and you are guaranteed to at least see some of India’s rarer wildlife that is hard to see in the wild. Ask locally about the reputation of the zoo and choose responsibly which you visit.
