Uttarakhand Tourism: My Day at Rajaji National Park

I walked in early to the bus stop and sat quietly in a corner, observing life returning to its activity on a new day. My bus was to arrive only at 8.30 and I had nearly 90 minutes at my expense. Morning fog was clearing up slowly, but still managing to keep the sun hidden behind it. A couple of chai shops were open and the few people who were seen at the bus stop were gathered around the shops. Noisy auto-rickshaws arrived and departed occasionally, bringing in more people who would walk up to the chai shop or taking away some out of there. Once in a while, some one wandered next to me asked where I was headed. “Chilla”, I would say and they would move on as if satisfied with the response. A few helpful would go on to say that my bus should arrive at 8.30.

I decided to take a walk, trying to fight the sleepy morning creeping into my body and mind. The Barrage across Ganga was close by and I could see the bridge on it fade into the mist and beyond. Mysterious and deep waters of the Ganges lay still on one side of the barrage, with a layer of fog protecting it from the sun. Concrete walls of the barrage restricted the flow into steady trickle. Wooded banks of the river were occupied by bold and noisy alexandrine parakeets, seemingly proud of their green camouflage. A bunch of jungle babblers wandered on the ground searching for insects. A pair of restless pied mynas kept moving from branch to branch.

Jungle-Babblers-in-Rajaji-National-Park

Fog was making its way out by the time my bus arrived. Earth was still covered by a thin invisible layer of wetness, as a reminder of the dew accumulated through the night. Distant hills remained faintly visible, blocked by residual fog. Soon the bus sped past the barrage and we passed the gates of Rajaji National Park. We drove along the canal that carried the water out of the barrage. A few Gujjar herdsmen entered into the bus from the villages that dotted the periphery of the park. It was 9am when I reached Chilla, a village in the heart of Rajaji national park.

Late February is not exactly the best time of the year to visit the wilderness in these parts. The migratory birds would have gone back by then, and the mammals would still be spending most of their time deep inside the forest. I was not exactly hoping to see much either – I was there just to get a feel of the park and enjoy its landscape and the forest. I hired a jeep from the first jeep-owner who approached me. We finished the entry formalities quickly and were on our way in the jungle very soon.

Dust went up freely as we drove through the forest. The amount of dust on the road was a good indication of the traffic on it and the number of tourists who visit the place. We encountered thick forest as soon as we moved out of Chilla. My driver did mention that we can’t expect to see any big mammals on our way. I did not bother.

Sandpiper-in-Rajaji-National-Park

Parakeets dominated the canopy of the park. There was hardly a moment when I did not hear them scream or whizzing above us as if they are in a real hurry. A few minutes of drive and our road merged into a dry riverbed and we continued driving right on the river! As we drove on, a sandpiper went looking around for food in the puddles formed by the leftover water on the riverbed. A herd of chitals, stomach full with the grass that grew on the riverbed were resting quietly in a corner. A pair of them playfully fought with their antlers as we watched. Moving further, our noisy jeep caused commotion among an unusually large gathering of peacocks. An eagle looked at us with its sharp and watchful eyes. Indeed, we did not sight any big mammals as the driver we predicted. Short hills with thick forest cover, and river running in the middle of them makes up the landscape of the park area. It is a beautiful drive, which always makes the visit worthwhile.

Indian-Roller-Rajaji-National-Park

I spent rest of the day chatting with the naturalists and other residents of Chilla. As I kept looking for a barbet hiding in the canopy of a tree, some one walked into me and asked the question that I always get to hear

“So you are interested in birds?”

I nodded, and he turned out to be one of the naturalists with a wealth of information on the birds in the park. We discussed birds for a while, and then he gave me a good lot of information on Corbett, where I was heading next. I soon moved on to the elephant stables, hoping to have a peek at them.

Elephant-Dust-Bath-at-Rajaji-National-Park

The safari elephant enjoys a private moment

A youngling, Jogi was walking around the stable freely, under the watchful eyes of the caretaker. He had every feature of a young and naughty kid, agile and restless, walking all over. Baby elephants are a treat to watch, their presence seems evoke a soft happiness from inside. He walked into his drinking water tank, dipped his trunk and sipped a few bucketful to quench his thirst. He saw me approaching, and to my surprise, turned around and started walking towards me! He looked friendly and I stood and waited. He came close and stretched his trunk, as if to shake my hands! I wished I could speak to Jogi at that moment and make friends. I did the next best thing – I spoke to the caretaker..

Jogi-Elepahant-Quenching-his-Thirst-at-Rajaji-National-Park

“Wo kya chahta hai?“, What does he want?

“Khana maang raha hai!” came the reply. Jogi was looking for food. He must have been used to travellers falling in love with him and offering goodies till he is pleased. I did not want to fall behind. I quickly came back with some edibles for Jogi and thrusted them to his stretched trunk. I massaged his forehead gently and he seemed to be mighty pleased. Of course, I was pretty pleased too.

Sun was already moving towards the horizon and it was time for me to leave. I took the first bus to Haridwar and made my way out, carrying memories of noisy parakeets and the naughty Jogi.

RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK INFORMATION

The park is located between the towns of Rishikesh and Haridwar, and is a 20 to 30 minute drive from either of the towns. It is a 6-7 hour drive from Delhi. The forest department reception is at Chillawali village, often called Chilla. This serves as the gateway to the park where you can get permissions and hire jeeps for going into the forest or book your elephant safari. A typical 30km jeep safari lasts for two to three hours and sets you short by Rs.500 to 700. To know about other places of interest around here, see my post on Rishikesh.

Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam(GMVN) has a guesthouse in Chilla, which is the ideal place to stay for park visitors. Book in advance in the weekends. The next option is to stay in Rishikesh or Hardwar and drive to Chill a early in the morning.

The park is a tiger reserve, but sightings are not common. Elephants, wild boar, a few type of deer are commonly seen fauna of the park. The park is spread over an area of 820 square kilometers in Shivalik range of hills.

Kerala Tourism: Eravikulam National Park

The state of Kerala is offers many opportunities for tourists, ranging from coastal holidays, backwaters, plantation visits and also wildlife. One great destination for wildlife enthusiasts is the Eravikulam National Park in the Idukki district near Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park

The western ghat mountain ranges provide a wholesome environment to nurture wildlife, and this 97 square kilometre stretch is no different. Though comparatively smaller than many other national parks of the country, Eravikulam is special due to the largest population of the endangered Nilgiris Tahr.

History

The region is a game preservation area for the Kannadevan Hills Produce Company. The local tribals, Muduvan, helped the game watchers of the nearby plantations before the area was taken over by the Kerala government for preservation in the 1970s. The planter community and the Muduvans still continue their contribution towards protection of the park.

Flora and Fauna

The largest surviving population of the Nilgiris Tahr is found in the Eravikulam National Park, about 700 of them roam in the confines of the park. Wild dogs, leopards and tigers are also found here. Nilgiris marten, small clawed otter, ruddy mongoose, and dusky striped squirrel are also found along with occasional elephants in these grasslands. About 120 species of birds are also found here along with 100 odd varieties of butterflies.

Nilgiris Tahr

How To Get There 

The Eravikulam National Park if situated in the Kanan Devan Hills of the Southern Western Ghats in Idukki. The park can be accessed from Kochi and Coimbatore airports, which are located at about 148 Km and 175 Km respectively. Munnar is the nearest town (13km.) and is very well connected by roads from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The nearest railway station in Kerala is Aluva but few trains come here. There is only one central motorable road in the park, but the rest has to be traversed on foot.

Eravikulam National Park Trek

Entry Fees

The park fee is Rs 200/- for foreign travellers but Rs 20/- for Indians. There are also additional charges for vehicles and children. Photography fees also have to be paid separately if the footage is for commercial use.

When to Go

The best time to visit the park is between January and March. The monsoons are difficult in the region and its best to avoid the months of June to August.

Gujarat Tourism: Places of Tourist Interest in Gujarat

Gujarat, the growth engine of India and the land of legends is located in western part of the country along with Arabian Sea with the longest coastline of India. Gujarat is one of the major tourist regions of India and known for its scenic beauty of mountain ranges, coastline beaches and the Great Rann of Kutch. It offers wide range of tourism in terms of Cultural, Wildlife, Religious and Business.

Local Villages and Tribes of Gujarat

Villages of Gujarat are more advance then any other villages of India, These small towns and villages are awarded for best gram panchayat like Punsri and Chikhli. Kutch villages,Gir sanctuary villages and coastal villages are tribal villages and primarily sheepherders and known for their unique culture and traditions. Tribes Gowala,Bharwad,Garacia,Rabari and Banjara are few important tribes of the region.

Local-Tribes-in-Gujrat

Culture and Food

Gujarat has very vibrant and colorful culture,people, Languages and food. The traditional Gujrati thali is one of the best way to know the Gujarati cuisine. During the famous festival such as Navaratri and Uttarayan, the true culture and tradition of Gujarat come into the picture along with special food items, most famous Gujarati dishes are dhokla, fafda, khandvi, basundi and chivda.

Dhokla

Temples and Pilgrimages

The state is well famous as the devotional center for Hindu and Jain Pilgrimage  along with other religions. Famous temples in Gujarat are Dwarka -one of the major four centers of Hindu,Somnath temple -one of the 12 jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, Ambaji-one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, Pavagadh, Sun Temple Modhera and Akshardham of Gandhinagar. It also host many Jain temples, includes Mahudi Jain Tirth,Palitana temples,Taranga Girnar and one of the biggest and oldest mosques of India, Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad.

Somnath-Temple

Major Cities and Towns of Gujarat

Gujarat is also home to big Sea port, sardar sarovar dam – one of the biggest dam of India in Narmada river, India’s first Canal-top Solar Power Project and some of the India’s fastest developing cities like Ahmedabad, Surat-the city of flyovers, Gandhinagar -green city of India and Jamnagar, the Oil City of India. Other major cities are Anand -the Milk Capital of India,Vadodara,Rajkot, and Godhra-the spirit of India.

Surat-city-diamond-city-of-india

Fairs and Festivals

It celebrates unique festival and fairs such as Garba during the Navratri, Kite Festival in Makar Sankranti or Uttarayana, Modhera Dance Festival and world famous Rann Utsav in November–December at Kutch. The major fairs includes Tarnetar Fair and Vautha Mela along with many other religious fairs at respective temple. Rann Utsav is one of the most popular festival and a cultural extravaganza to display the real and traditional flavor of area and Vibrant Gujarat.

Kai-Po-Che-Flying-Kite-High-in-Gujarat

Fort & palaces

Gujarat has wide variety of great historic forts,grand palaces, beautiful temples and other historical monuments.These Forts and Palaces have very impressive Architecture and the historical background of Maharaja. Major forts are Taranga Fort,The Upperkot fort,Tera Fort and Pavagadh, known for a famous Mahakali temple. The Palaces of Vadodara know as Laxmi Vilas Palace is one of the Grand palace of India and a major popular tourist sites in Gujarat.

Laxmi-Vilas-Palace

Historical sites and Monuments & Museums

The land has a rich Heritage and Historical places that dates back from Indus Valley Civilization to Mahabharata. Major Heritage spots are Kirti Mandir,Pavagadh and Vadnagar,famous for its torans and Hatkeshwar Temple. World heritage sites like Lothal, Dholavira and Champaner are major attraction of Vibrant Gujarat along with Monuments Amrutvarshni Vav,Ancient Masjid,Ancient Step Well and Navlakha Temple.

Lothal-historical-site

Apart from the above Historical places Gujarat offers splendid historical spots like Hriday Kunj,Sabarmati Ashram,Fateh Singh Museum and famous Calico Museum of Textiles. The city also has unique Kite Museum at Ahmedabad,Takhteshwar Temple,bhadreshwar temple,Pratap Vilas Palace and famous six times destroyed Somnath Temple.

Calico-Textile-Museum-in-Gujarat

Lakes and Waterfalls

The water bodies of Gujarat are very famous and major attractions, like Ranmal Lake,Hamirsar Lake Vastrapur Lake and Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. It also have important rivers Narmada river,Sabarmati river and Tapti river along with famous waterfall such as Gira Falls, Girmal Falls and Ninai Waterfall.

Gira-falls in Gujrat

Beaches and Islands

The longest coastline of Gujarat offers some of the most beautiful Indian Beaches and Sea island such as Mandvi Beach, Gopnath Beach,Dumas Beach,Dwarka Beach, Porbandar Beach and islands are Pirotan and Narala Island and Diu. Pirotan Island is located in the Marine National Park, only its kind of national park in India situated in the Gulf of Kutch. The Marine Sanctuary offers home to Corals, Fish, Crabs, Prawns, Molluscs, Sea snakes and Turtles along with sea birds.

Mandvi-Beach

Mountains and Hills

Gujarat host four major mountain ranges of India, including Aravalli, Sahyadri,Vindhya and Satpura along with hills Girnar Hill,Saputara hills and famous Wilson Hills. These collection of mountains and hills offers habitat for Indian Lion, the only place in the wild with 411 Asiatic lions in the Gir forest. The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the fully protected area for diverse flora and fauna and Dangs district has largest forest cover area under the Saputara range.

Wilson-Hill-in-Gujarat

Wildlife of Gujarat

Habitat of Gujarat provides shelter to rare and unique species of Flora and Fauna, which includes The Asiatic Lions, Blackbuck, Wild Ass,Dolphins,Whale Shark and The Avifauna are Great Horned Owl,majestic eagles and fascinating buzzards along with migratory Birds like Pelican,Flamingos and cranes. The major national park, wildlife Sanctuaries and Bird Sanctuary of Gujarat are famous Gir National Park,unique Marine National Park,Porbandar Bird Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary,Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary and Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of Kutch.

Resting-Lioness-in-Gir-National-Park

The Great Himalayan National Park

With a lush bio-diversity, India is not just seen as a culturally rich destination but has also increasingly become popular for its wildlife. Tiger saving initiatives in particular have highlighted attention on India’s national parks in recent years.

Mount Kailash

Latest on the list of hot-spots for wildlife, is the Great Himalayan National Park.

About The Great Humalayan National Park

Located in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, the park is spread over an impressive 1171 sq km. It has about 375 fauna species and a wide array of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, including snow leopards.

Snow Leopard

Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Great Himalayan National Park is replete with rivers, camping spots, trekking trails and wildlife watching locations.

How to Get There

The Park is accessible by over-night buses from Delhi or flights that land in Bhuntar in Himachal Pradesh. Make Kullu your base and then enter the park for wildlife spotting.

Birdwatching-Himalayan-National-Park

Entry Fees

There are separate fees for Indian and Foreign Nationals for the park entry at Rs 10 and Rs 200 per head, respectively. You also have to pay charges for carrying still and video camera. Students can get discounted prices.

Season

The best weather conditions for wildlife spotting are summers. This is the time when the animals step out of their verdant surroundings in search for water. If visiting Kullu, it is best to use this as a gateway for other places in Himachal and also Ladakh. Avoid the monsoon season due to road blocks and landslides.

Things to do

Apart from the key activity of wildlife spotting, the Great Himalayan National Park allows for some more interesting activities as the park lies in the heart of Himachal and there are plenty of opportunities to mingle with the locals. Some of the things that you may want to include:

Trekkers_in_Himalayan-National-Park

Treks – There are 7 serious treks that you can do in addition to numerous smaller hikes. Sainj Valley, Tirthan, Gushaini, Jiwi Nala, Rakistar and Pin Parvati are some of the names that many adventure lovers reckon with. Book ahead to get a place on the treks with experts from the region.

Local Architecture – There has been a huge effort to retain and preserve the old Himachali architecture in the region. See the old wooden, mud and stone houses preserved by the Ecozone of GHNP, which blend in seamlessly with the environment.

Local-Himalayan-People

Festivals – The Eco Tourism wing of the park gives you the opportunity to mix with the locals, especially at the times of the festivals. It is a great way of adding a unique experience to your visit and to get an understanding of the local lifestyle. Be a part of Fagli in winter, village fairs in April and the much celebrated Dusherra in October.

There are a number of pilgrimage sites close to the park. Local deities and Gods command great reverence. Raktisar, Hanskund and the Sirikhand Mahadev Lake are three places that one can visit.

Watch educational films and documentaries at the Larji Information Centre built for the benefit of the tourists. This is a great place to engage children with some knowledge based activities.

Taking a deep breath

Explore the region

There are many reasons to visit this part of Himachal Pradesh and a variety of experiences for travellers. Make your base in the non touristy areas, and explore the hills and the frothy rivers. Camping, rafting, climbing, fishing and getting up close to village life should all be part of the itinerary.

Great destinations to explore in Himachal Pradesh include Manali which is just 32km from Kulla and a good place to base yourself for a few days.

Tourism Ladakh : Hemis National Park

The stunningly beautiful Hemis National Park is located in the Eastern part of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas and lies at an altitude of up to 6,930m above sea level, covering an area of 600 sq kms.

Hemis-national-park-Ladakh

History

The park was founded in 1981 and is currently the largest national park in South Asia. Hemis was a destination and stopping point on the silk routes of Tibet and the park includes the famous 400-year old Hemis Gompa Monastery, for which it was named, within it’s boundaries.

Hemis_Gompa_India

Flora and Fauna

The park has been dubbed the “Snow Leopard Capital of India” and wide variety of flora and fauna can be seen here. The park is receives little rain fall and contains many dry forests, alpine grasslands and scrub lands. Wildlife lovers are drawn to this remote location are the park’s many endangered animals. Some of its inhabitants include the snow leopard, ibex, serow, Tibetan antelope and red fox. There have been 16 mammal species and 73 bird species recorded in the park so far.

Yak-hemis-national-park-wildlife

Natural Beauty

Views overlooking the Indus River and the surrounding area make Hemis National Park photographer’s delight. The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October.

Indus-River

When to Visit

Visitors should plan their trip from May to October. During winters the temperature goes well below zero and heavy snowfall is seen.

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism: Dachigam National Park

The Northern most state of India is by far one of the most mesmerising in terms of its natural wonders. A mixture of of cold desert, verdant hills and the Dal Lake, Jammu and Kashmir is truly a travellers delight.

Amongst many other things to see in J & K, try the Dachigam National Park, just 22 kilometres from Srinagar, the capital of the state.

Dachigam-National-Park-location

Spanning a lifetime of over 100 years and an impressive coverage of 141 sq kms, Dachigam can be translated into meaning ‘ten villages’. With the mighty Himalayas as the backdrop of the National Park, the park is not only rich in flora and fauna but also makes a great place to just take in the varied landscapes of the region.

Sarband-kashmir

The terrain of the park ranges from grasslands to cliffs, making it uneven and exciting to traverse. Even amongst the flora, the forest is a mix of coniferous trees and grassy meadows. The forest opens out into the famous Marsar Lake which is the starting point of the Dagwan River. The river flows through a large part of the forest and is famous for its population of trout.

Formosan-Black-Bear

Wildlife: 

Where animal sightings are concerned, be prepared to look out for the famous endangered Hangul, or Kashmir stag. The Himalayan black bear, grey langur, weasel, jungle cat, musk deer, the elusive leopard, fox, marmot and musk deer are seen in plenty. The park also has a notable population of birds.

Moschustier

The national park makes for a good weekend getaway or day trip from Srinagar. It also gives you the opportunity to see the wide array of natural delights in the region without having to travel a large distance. Great for photography and wildlife enthusiasts, this is highly recommended. Try and explore this wonderful National Park on foot with a guide to get the best experience.

Timings: 

The Park is opened between 5.30 a.m to 6.30 p.m.

Fees: 

There are no fees to enter the park. However, the rules are subject to change, so please find out earlier.

Best Season: 

Dachigam cannot be visited during the winters due to heavy snow and windy climate. The best time to go is during the summers.

Unexplored wildlife sanctuaries of India

Wildlife Sanctuaries of India has a unique status worldwide, It has the second largest base of bio diversity in the world. These calm and peaceful wildlife sanctuaries are the home for some very giant animals and rare species of birds. India has some of the biggest National Parks like Hemis, Sundarbans and Gangotri National Park. Rann of Kutch, also known as the Indian Wild Ass sanctuary is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India.

Area wise wildlife sanctuaries of India:

Desert National Park: 

Desert National Park, Rajasthan covering an area of 3162 km. It is one of the largest protected areas for wild animals in India. The famous Desert National Park lies on the vast ocean of sands near Jaisalmer. Its is one of the major attractions of the Jaisalmer city another one is Jaisalmer fort. This is a only desert sanctuary of India, famous for its endangered species like the Great Indian bustard. An excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Great Desert and its rich habitat area offers the desert animals & birds including flying predators black and grey eagles, vultures, Indian peafowl, species of antelopes, monitor lizard, Russel viper and krait the most venomous snake in India.

Indian-peacock-Rajasthan

Namdapha National Park: 

Namdapha National Park is the largest protected area in the Eastern area of Arunachal Pradesh, lies on the Patkai range. It offers a wide spectrum of plants and animals and one of the richest areas in biodiversity in India. Namdapha is famous for its untouched wilderness, unexplored place and unseen natural beauty. It is the only one national park in which four Big Cats – tiger, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard are found. Other large predators are wolves, and Asiatic black bears. The great Hornbills and Red Giant Flying Squirrel is often seen in park.

Giant-Indian-flying-squirrel

Khangchendzonga National Park: 

Khangchendzonga National Park is the largest wildlife reserve in Sikkim in the bless by nature area of 1784 KM. It lies on one of the grandest and most unspoilt Himalayan mountain ranges called Khangchendzonga the third highest peak in the world. The park, along with its surrounding forests and mountains offers best beauty of nature. The park has the right mix of mountains, glaciers and forests, Snow leopard is the one of biggest cats found here.

Snow-Leopard-Himalayan-Region-India

Sanjay National Park: 

The Sanjay National Park in Chhattisgarh is spread over an area of 1471 km and is surrounded by Vindhyachal Mountain Ranges and rivers. After partition form madhay pradesh its name is now Guru Ghasidas national park. Main wild animals are Jackals, Sambar, Four-horned Antelopes, Jungle Cat, Monitor Lizard,Monkey, Striped Hyena and wild Dogs. It is also an ideal place to watch migratory birds. Sanjay National Park is one of the most important wild animal sanctuaries in central India. Indian Rock Python, Cobra and Russell’s Viper are the dangerous reptiles found here.

Indian-Monitor-Lizard

Indravati National Park: 

Indravati National Park is located in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh in area of 1258 KM. The park is known for the wide species of animals, birds and reptiles. The major wildlife attractions in Indravati National Park include the rare Wild Buffalo, Tigers, Leopards, Gaurs, Barasinghas and barking deer. reptiles in the park are freshwater crocodile, Indian Rock Python, Cobra and Russell’s Viper. It is the finest and most famous wildlife parks and also the only Tiger Reserve in the Tribal State Chhattisgarh.

Indian-rock-python

The Big Cats of India

Felidae is the biological family of cats and member of this family is called Felid. Big Cats Tiger, Lion, Leopard and jaguar are define this family. The only cats able to roar are come under big cats family.These “roaring cats” are also sometimes called as “Great Cats”. Big cats also includes cheetah, snow leopard, and cougar. The Asiatic lions or some time called Indian lion is one of the four great cats  found in India, the other great cats of India are the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard and the snow leopard. There is an Cheetah reintroduction plan running by the Indian government, to bring the cheetah back to India. Seven sites in the four states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh have been shortlisted as potential homes for the cheetah.The Great Indian Tigers in are a bit larger than those Panthera found in Indonesia or Bali.

The Big Cats of India

Great Indian Lion: 

The Indian lion are quit similar to African in looks, Asiatic lion are smaller and lighter but are equally aggressive as African. The habitat of the Asiatic lion is very small they survives today only in the Gir National park of Gujarat and only about 411 lions are left. About 150 yeas ago Asiatic Lion was found in large parts India along with Cheetah. Big cats of India lost their jungle habitat in India because of rising human population which almost convert their habitat area to farmlands.The Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was selected to relocated the lions form Gir National Parks.The Gujarat state has been resisting the relocation, since it would make the Gir Sanctuary lose its status as the only home for big cats in India. Indian lions are highly social animals, living in small units called prides with just two or three females, these prides are smaller than Africans.Indian lions prey deer, nilgai and chinkara.

Indian-lions

Royal Bengal Tiger: 

The Bengal Tiger is  the largest one from the four “Roaring Cats of India”.The Bengal tiger is the second largest subspecies after the Siberian tiger, recent studies have shown that Bengal Tigers are, on average, larger than the Siberian Tigers. Tiger do not live in prides so every tiger has its own territory to live. Tiger habitats usually include dense forest area, proximity to water, and full of prey sources. Bengal Tigers live in many types of forests, including wet and evergreen jungle like Bengal, the mangrove forest of the Ganges Delta. The Royal  Bengal Tiger also found in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Bengal tigers eat a variety of animals found in their natural habitat, including deer, wild boars,water buffalo etc.The Bengal Tiger is the national animal of India.India is the home for the world’s largest population of tigers.In the Big Cats dairy of India there are only 1411 Royal Bengal Tigers left as per record.Conservation efforts called “Project Tiger” is on his way to Save Bengal Tigers. Bandhavgarh national park has been an excellent habitat of tiger and is known for the highest density of tigers in the world.

The-royal-bengal-tiger

White Tiger: 

White tigers have been known to inhabit many parts of East Asia and in India. The habitat range of while tiger’s in India is much reduces due to poaching. While comparing to orange tigers ,white tigers tend to be larger both at birth and at full adult size. Hundreds of white tigers are in captivity in India, and good news is that their numbers are on the increase. The nandan kanan national park is one of the park where White Tigers are found in India.

White-Bengal-Tigers

Indian Leopard: 

The range of leopard has decreased because of hunting and loss of habitat. There are also fragmented populations in India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, and Pakistan and because of its population, it is listed as a “Near Threatened” species.  Compared to other members of the Felid family, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull.  It is similar in appearance to the jaguar. The leopard is an agile and stealthy predator. The leopard is known for its ability in climbing, and it has been observed resting on tree branches during the day.Because of loss of habitat  and continuously deforestation leopard and human interaction can occurred.Basically leopards avoid targeting humans as prey, healthy leopards prefer wild prey but injured leopard can do. Two extreme cases occurred in India, Leopard killed 125 people and another one killed more than 300 after injured by a poacher. Both the man eater leopard were killed by the hunter Jim Corbett.In India the leopard preys on deer such as chitals and muntjacs. Indian leopards are distributed all over in India. Jim Corbett National Park is the best place for Indian leopards. A variation of  leopard is black leopard also known as black panther found in India.

Indian-leopard

Black Panther: 

A black panther is a large black cat, Black leopards or black panther are found at most densely forested areas of Assam and Nepal, from Travancore and other parts of southern India. Number of Black panther’s in India are very less, can be appear some time in rural area of India.

Black-panther-In-India

Snow Leopard: 

Snow leopard also know as  Ounce in India.  Snow leopards are the king of mountain. Snow leopard very less studied member of “The Great Cats” family. Snow leopards bodies are stocky, their fur is thick they are perfect for living in a cold mountainous environment. Its currently occupied range is poorly mapped but as per the record Snow leopard found in Himalayan regions of North India. The diet of the snow leopard varies across its range and with the time of year, and is dependent on prey availability, In the Himalayas it preys mostly wild sheep and goats  and some smaller prey such as hares and birds. Population of the snow leopard was estimated 200-400 in India. Hemis National Park  Ladakh is one of the conservation park for snow leopards in India. Because of disputed border with Pakistan create additional conservation challenges for snow leopard areas. Conservation programs for Snow leopard in India is supported by the native peoples as well.

Snow-Leopard-Himalayan-Region-India

Clouded Leopard: 

The another felid of Himalaya is “The clouded leopard” found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland northeast India to neighbor countries. The powerful predator of hills has been classified as vulnerable with suspected to be fewer than 10,000. The smaller length felid is more beautiful in appearance with longish body and tail. The rarely seen in wild, Clouded leopards are threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation, illegal hunting.

Clouded-leopard

Asiatic Golden Cat: 

The Asiatic golden cat is one of the medium-sized wild cat found in Southeastern Asia. The feline species is comes very close to fall in the category of Vulnerable due to fastest regional deforestation, hunting pressure and habitat loss. Arunachal Pradesh and some part of its neighbor states are the only place for Indian golden cat to spot.

Indian-golden-cat