Wild Life Parks In India

Bandhavgar National Park  Bandhavgarh lies in the heart of Madhya Pradesh- traditional tiger country. This is where Rudyard Kipling found inspiration for his famous Jungle Book (remember Mowgli?), and this is where the tiger still roams- although now protected by dozens of laws, some effective, some not. Once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Rewa, where an alarming number of tigers were hunted down in pre-independence India, Bandhavgarh was mercifully declared a National Park in 1968. Today, the Bandhavgarh National Park is a compact reserve (448 sq. km) of sal trees, bamboo thickets and grasslands, teeming with birds

and animals and the highest population of tigers anywhere in India. The park is now home to 22 species of wildlife, including the regal ‘gaur’, umpteen varieties of deer, and carnivores such as the striped hyena, jungle cat and sloth bear and over 250 species of birds. Within the park itself is the Bandhavgarh Fort, now in ruins and largely overrun by the surrounding forest. Although Bandhavgarh is in the area where the famous white tigers of Rewa were first found, don’t expect to see any of the exotic beauties around. What you will see, however, is an amazing diversity of flora and fauna which can certainly make a trip to this wildlife preserve utterly worthwhile.  Entry Requirements  All visitors to Bandhavgarh need a permit to enter the wildlife national park; this can be obtained at the entrance to the park. Entry fees for foreigners are Rs 200; for Indians and members of SAARC countries, Rs 20. Additional charges are levied for the entry of vehicles, for cameras and for elephant rides.     Access  If you’re looking to sight the majestic tiger in his natural habitat, head for Jabalpur by jeep, bus, plane or train and from there onwards to the Bandhavgarh National Park, 165 km northeast. The nearest airports are in Khajuraho (210 km away) and Jabalpur. Buses from Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh do the trip in about five hours. The closest railhead is the town of Umaria, which is 30 km from Bandhavgarh; it’s linked by train to cities in Madhya Pradesh and other states, including Delhi. Private and state owned bus services operate regular buses to Bandhavgarh from Umaria, Jabalpur, and other towns in Madhya Pradesh. Taxis too can be hired to get to Bandhavgarh.  The wildlife park’s entrance is at a tiny settlement called Tala, which has facilities- although limited- for accommodation. Within the bounds of the Bandhavgarh National Park, vehicles may be hired at the entrance to drive around; in addition, private vehicles are allowed in. You could also ride through the jungle on elephant-back -- and if you kept completely quiet and are very, very lucky, you could even spot a tiger! Best time to visit  Like many of India’s other wildlife preserves, national parks and sanctuaries, Bandhavgarh National Park too closes for visitors during the monsoon months, July to October. Between November and June is the best- and only-time to visit the park.  Accommodation  The Madhya Pradesh Tourist department has a forest lodge in Bandhavgarh; the PWD and the Forest Department also have guest houses within the park, where the accommodation, though not the height of luxury, is adequate. Rooms range from some interesting cabins on stilts to individual cottages. Besides this, there are hotels and forest lodges at Tala (at the entrance to Bandhavgarh).  More information on Bandhavgarh may be obtained from the Director, Bandhavgarh National Park, P.O. Umaria, District Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. Reservations for the MP tourism lodge can be made at the MP State Tourism Development Corporation in Bhopal (Tel: 0755-2778383 or 0755-2774343). Bandipur National Park  Once the private game reserve of the Mysore maharajas, Bandipur, the large forest (866 sq km) south of the river Kabini is now part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and one of WWF’s Project Tiger sites. It neighbours the Nagarhole National Park, the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and Wynaad in Kerala. All together this area makes for the largest protected forest in India. Bandipur has a sizeable population of wildlife - elephant, spotted deer and sambar, gaur and flying squirrel, four horned antelope, Nilgiri langur and sloth bear. Amongst the reserve’s most prominent animals are its 1,900-odd elephants. The Royal Bengal tiger (75 in the Park) and leopard are even more elusive here than elsewhere because the moister region that they inhabit falls under the protected core area where casual visitors are not allowed. Mostly dry deciduous forest with an abundance of teak on the periphery, the moister core area of Bandipur, has large tracts of fragrant sandalwood and rosewood. However, some summers this area too gets unbearably dry and during these times the animals migrate to the neighbouring wetter Mudumalai Park. Entry Requirements  All visitors to Bandipur have to get entry permits at the entrance to the park. These cost about Rs 150 (for foreigners) and considerably less for Indians. Additional charges are levied for cameras, vehicles, and elephant or jeep rides. Access The nearest railhead is Nanjangud, 55 km away, while the nearest roadhead is the town of Gundulpet, 20 km from Bandipur. Both are, however, fairly small places, with few transport connections to the rest of the state. A better idea, therefore, would be to arrive at Bandipur via Mysore or Ooty. Bandipur is 80 km from Mysore, and a similar distance from Ooty, and takes 2 ½ hours by road. Mysore is further connected to the rest of south India by train, while a narrow gauge train comes to Ooty from the plains station of Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam has train connections to a number of other towns in Tamilnadu. Once you’ve got to Mysore or Ooty, you can take a bus or hire a car or taxi to get to Bandipur. Private vehicles are not allowed to tour the park, so buses abound, rumbling and roaring their way around, drowning out any chance of seeing animals. Better options for getting around in the park are the forest department jeeps and vans. The Forest Department also organises elephant rides of about an hour (or more) each, which take you deeper into the forest than you’d otherwise be able to go. At Bandipur, you can book a machan near a watering hole for the best viewing of all. Best time to visit The best season depends on what you are looking for; if it’s wildlife you seek then the hot months from March to May are when animals flock to the watering holes, and hopefully to the ones close to your machan (but be aware: droughts also push animals into Mudumalai); for cool comfort the months of November-February are great when the flora is resurging after the rains; the rainy months of June-September bring the elephants to the fore, bring the temperatures down and the metalled roads of Bandipur don’t get washed out either. If you are really interested in the animals, you must avoid the weekends when hordes of visitors come down from nearby cities for the day. Accommodation  Accommodation options in Bandipur include Forest Resthouses and KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation) cottages, besides a few private resorts and hotels. The forest resthouses here are deluxe bungalows and also have dormitory beds; both should be reserved in advance at the Forest Office in Bangalore or Mysore. Rooms at the resthouses cost between Rs 300 and 400 a night. Luxury resorts around Bandipur National Park are more expensive  but offer many more luxuries; they also arrange their own elephant safaris and jeep rides. A double room at one of the resorts will cost about Rs 3,000 per night, which will usually include meals, wildlife safaris, and fees for cameras, vehicles and entry. Further information on Bandipur can be obtained from the office of the Field Director, Project Tiger, Aranya Bhavan, Ashokpuram, Mysore (Tel: 0821-480901) or the Chief Wildlife Warden, Aranya Bhavan, 18th Cross, Bangalore (Tel: 3341993). Chilka Lake  National Park The Chilka Lake in Orissa is Asia's largest inland salt-water lagoon. Studded with small islands- including the picturesquely-named Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island- the lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sandy ridge. The pear-shaped lake spreads across 1,100 sq km, and has a unique ecosystem with a range of aquatic flora and fauna found in and around its brackish waters. An impressive array of bird life, both native and migrant, makes Chilka one of the best places in India for a bit of satisfying bird-watching. White bellied sea eagles, greylag geese, purple moorhen, jacana, herons and flamingos are among the many species which make the lake a bird watcher's delight: Chilka, in fact, is home to one of the world's largest breeding colonies of flamingos. Other than the birds, Chilka's shores are home to blackbuck, spotted deer, golden jackals and hyenas, and the lake is rich in aquatic life- its waters harbour around 160 species of fish, crustaceans and other marine creatures, including the famous Chilka dolphin. Prawn, crab and mackerel fishing are an important source of livelihood for the local people, and hundreds of small fishing boats set sail each morning to bring in the day's catch from the lake. he Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve harbours India’s second largest pachyderm population, and the chances of seeing elephant herds is pretty high, especially during the dry season. Access Chilka is approximately 120 km from Bhubaneshwar, the nearest airport; state transport, OTDC tour buses and private operators ply the roads between Chilka, Puri, Behrampore, Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack. The nearest railway stations are at Rambha and Balugaon, both of which have train connections to cities as distant as Kolkata, Puri, Hyderabad and Chennai. From both Balugaon and Rambha buses are available to the lake.  Local transport is basically limited to three wheel rickshaws and auto rickshaws, bicycles and cars are sole modes of private transport. The services of local boatmen and the OTDC's motorboats are available for access to the islands though outboard motors are not allowed near the bird sanctuary. OTDC boats can be hired at Barkul, and cost between Rs 410 (for a 7-seater boat) to Rs 790 (for a 34-seater boat) per hour. A special tour is operated by the OTDC between Barkul and Kalijai, and costs Rs 40 per head. Best time to visit The weather remains moderately warm the whole year round, so come any time of the year except during the rainy season from June to September. The best time, however, is from October to March, when the lake is crowded with migrating birds, usually at least 50-70 species. Pilgrims flock here in January during Makar Mela (at the time of Makar Sankranti) to pay obeisance to the Goddess Kalijai, whose temple is situated on Kalijai island in Chilka Lake. Accommodation There are a few hotels on the banks of the lake including an OTDC run hotel and two tourist bungalows (the `Panthnivas' at Rambha and Barkul) that have stunning views and a relaxed vacation ambience. Air-conditioned double rooms at the Barkul tourist bungalow cost Rs 700 a night; non-airconditioned rooms cost half that price. The bungalow at Rambha is somewhat cheaper, with air-conditioned double rooms for Rs 500 and non-airconditioned rooms for Rs 250 a night.  A number of state-run as well as privately-operated resthouses and tourist lodges also dot the shores of the lake, and tariffs vary considerably, depending upon the facilities offered. More information on Chilka can be obtained from the Government of Orissa Tourism Counter at the Tourist Bungalow in Rambha (District Ganjam, Orissa, Tel: 91-6810-78346). Corbett National Park In the foothills of the Kumaon Himalayas, close to Ramnagar, lies the Corbett National Park. The first Reserve forest of its kind, the park was established in 1936- when it was known as the Hailey National Park- mainly through the efforts of Jim Corbett, the conservationist. Corbett lived throughout his childhood in the area of Kaladhungi between Nainital and Ramnagar. He had a deep insight into the ecology of the area, and in later years he was called upon by the locals to shoot down man-eating leopards and tigers that stalked the villages. Locally referred to as "Carpet Sahib", he turned to photography and writing, authoring books on wildlife, like "My India", "Jungle Lore" and "Man-eaters of Kumaon". Corbett National Park was the first to be designated a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973. Situated at a distance of 260 kms from Delhi and 128 kms from Nainital, the Corbett National Park is best known for its big cats, especially the tiger. Despite the efforts of conservationists, the tiger population of India is dwindling rapidly, and Corbett National Park is one of the few parks where the tiger can still be seen. There are around 50 tigers in Corbett, besides other wildlife like leopards, several lesser cats, the wild dog, porcupines, jackals, civets, sloth bear, black bear, wild boar and a few hundred elephants.   Stretching over 520 sq km with a core area of 330 sq km, the Corbett National Park consists of mixed deciduous and sal forests and stretches of savannah grasslands where antelope, chital, hog deer and sambar graze. The Rhesus monkey and common langur are ubiquitous, while the long-snouted gharial, marsh crocodile, cobras and pythons can be seen on the mud banks of the Ramganga. The Ramganga reservoir, in the main Dhikala camp area of the park, has over 600 species of birds, including the pied kingfisher, crested serpent eagle, fishing eagle and Himalayan grey headed fishing eagle. The river is also home to the famous river carpmahseer, a favourite catch for anglers.   Entry Requirements Entry to Corbett is strictly regulated and permits are needed from the park administration in Ramnagar. For foreigners, the fees are Rs 350 for the first three days at Dhikala and Rs. 75 for every additional day. Charges for boarding and lodging are additional.   Access The nearest railhead is at Ramnagar, 50 kms. from the main park campsite at Dhikala. Convenient trains connect to Delhi, Lucknow and Moradabad. It is also possible to rent a car and take the road from Delhi, passing through Moradabad; the bus journey from Delhi takes about 7 hours. There are daily buses from Ramnagar to Moradabad and Ranikhet. From Ramnagar, buses run to Dhikala (within the park); jeeps too are available for hire, at a tariff of about Rs 800 per day.   Elephant rides and jeep rides can be arranged once in Corbett National Park; private vehicles and jeeps are also allowed. Elephant rides are the recommended way to see the animals, the charges are Rs. 100 per person or Rs. 400 per elephant for two hours. Note that movement within the camp is restricted and moving out on foot is forbidden.   Best time to visit The Corbett National Park is out of bounds during the monsoons- usually from about June 16thtill November 14th. Once the park reopens after the rains, the best time to visit is between January and mid-June. In the winter months from December till February the Ramganga reservoir is full of migratory birds. Summer is the best season to view wildlife, especially the tiger, that come out of the deep forests for water.   Accommodation A range of tourist accommodation is available at Corbett's main campsite in Dhikala, which includes three-room cabins, forest rest houses, huts, tents and log hut dormitories. There are, in addition, Forest Rest houses at Khinanauli, Sarpduli, Gairal, Sultan, Bijrani, Malani, Kanda, Dhela and Jhirna. Accommodation is also available in private lodges and resorts outside the Park. Rooms in the forest resthouses cost between Rs 100- Rs 500 per night, depending upon the accessibility of the resthouse. The most popular camp, Dhikala, offers rooms for about Rs 500 and dormitory beds for Rs 50. Rates for foreigners are thrice the amount. Private resorts and hotels in Ramnagar are much more luxurious than what you’ll get in Corbett, and they charge a proportionately higher rate too- between Rs 3500 to Rs 5000 is the average- per night.   Further information can be obtained at the local information counter, at the Reception Centre, Corbett National Park, Ramnagar (Ph: 05945 – 853189, 85332).