India's Best Wildlife Sanctuaries

Abhishek Mishra

Last updated: Apr 3, 2017

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Wildlife is no more the indulgence of the sahibs or elite or nature enthusiasts. If your last few holidays were to the hills, beach or in a city, visiting a wildlife sanctuary will be a ‘wildly’ refreshing experience. Choose the destination, book the accommodation and safari, pack your aviators, binoculars, sun protection gear and get ready to enter the jungle. Here’s what India’s finest national parks have to offer...

Kaziranga National Park (Assam)

In the language of Assam’s Karbi tribe, Kaziranga means “where the mountain goat has water”. Spreading over 430 sq kms next to Brahmaputra’s south bank in Assam, Kaziranga National Park is home to two thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros population, 70 percent of the world’s wild buffaloes, over 1000 elephants, 450 species of birds, swamp deer and before you awe, tigers.

Kaziranga is about 240 kms away from Guwahati and the nearest airport and railway station are in a town called Johrat, 97 kms away. While the Park opens from November to April, the best time to visit is March and April. The most visited tourist ranges in Kaziranga are Kohora and Baguri. Start with a Kohora safari in an open jeep (ideally pre-booked) with a driver and forest guard. As you drive deeper in to the forest, the tall elephant grass on both sides of the road will maintain a thrill of the unknown wild! You are almost sure to encounter an indolent family of one-horned rhinos or a bathing herd of elephants or an energetic bunch of swamp deer. Kaziranga is special in that way. Its rich habitat and plentiful animal population makes it highly possible to sight every animal in a two-hour safari. You can also choose to go for the Baguri safari or take one of the watchtowers to capture the wildlife on your lens. Kaziranga has the most potent display of Indian wildlife and provides for a unique and reviving experience.

Sunderbans National Park (West Bengal)

Sunderbans National Park is an unworldly setup of wetlands, mangroves, ghost stories, mudflats, crocodiles, seven rivers, 64 plant species and over 270 Royal Bengal tigers (2011 census). Sixty kilometres from the nearest town of Gosaba, the Park spreads over 500 sq kms and is best travelled not on an elephant or in a jeep, but in a boat. Choose a luxury launch like M.V. Chitrarekha or M.V. Madhukar and start your boat safari in a network of channels over the delta. The experience of two unmoving eyes under water, staring at your boat, ready to attack or abandon at the slightest threat, is exclusive to Sunderbans National Park. After your boat safari, plan a day or two to visit the crocodile breeding farm of Bharatpur, Haliday Island (for its barking deer), the Burridabri Tiger project and the Sajankhali Bird Sanctuary.

Sunderbans is one of those parks where villagers live and depend on the forest for their livelihood and where man-tiger encounters are common. The Royal Bengal tigers of Sunderbans know how to swim in saline water and their man-eating tendencies are well, unnerving. This explains the existence of Temple of Bonbibi, the goddess who protects the natives from tigers. After marshy expeditions, you can buy bottles of fresh honey or savour a catch of fresh fish here. Whether you spot a tiger or not, Sunderbans will amaze you with its exotic birds, mighty crocs, and a delicate but impeccable balance of human and wild.

Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

bandhavgarh-national-park-deer-spotting — Deer Spotting in Bandhavgarh

By the law of probability, you have the highest chances of seeing a big cat at Bandhavgarh National Park. Not just tigers, Bandhavgarh has the highest number of famous tigers! It starts from Mohan, the white tiger killed by a Maharaja in 1951, now preserved and displayed in the Palace of Maharajas of Rewa. Charger, another healthy male tiger was famous due to his habit of charging at tourists and elephants, merely to intimidate them. He died in 2000. Sita, a tigress of Bandhavgarh is reportedly the most photographed tigress who even appeared on the cover of National Geographic.

While the park has five ranges, tourists are restricted to the Tala range which spreads to 105 sq kms. This range has an estimated population of 26 tigers. Take a three-hour jeep safari in Bandhavgarh, preferably in the morning. Apart from tigers, you may also encounter one of the many leopards that can be found here. If you’re planning to visit Bandhavgarh in winter, the morning safari is from 7:30 am to 10 am and the evening one is from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. In summer, both the safaris begin and end an hour earlier.

A unique thing about Bandhavgarh is that the tigers here are used to tourists around them and many don’t seem to mind their presence. While some might consider it tailored, Bandhavgarh National Park nevertheless is the surest place to encounter the magnificent cat. The nearest town Umaria is 32 kms away and the Park is best visited from March to May for wildlife enthusiasts and from December to February for others. In winter, temperatures can plunge as low as 2° Celsius and soar up to 45° Celsius during summer. Please ensure protective packing for yourself and for your camera and other equipment.

Gir National Park (Gujarat)

If tigers in the wild fail to stun you, plan a visit to Gir to meet the mightiest cat of the lot, the Asiatic lion. This 1400 sq km park is the last refuge of the once critically endangered Asiatic lion. There are around 411 lions in Gir National Park, coexisting with Maldharis, the traditional herdsmen. The otherwise dry Gir forest is best after monsoon, when the thick undergrowth makes it comfortable for the pride to move, but equally arduous for tourists. But don’t worry as there are enough jeeps and elephant safaris to help you!

After the safari, ask your guard to take you to the temple of Kankai Mata with hot springs, the Little Rann of Kutch (home to the Indian wild ass) and the picturesque Flamingo Island. For bird lovers, the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary is home to various species of water-birds. Gir National Park attracts over 65,000 visitors each year. While the nearest city is Junagadh, 64 kms away, the railway station of Sasan Gir is merely 1 km from the Park boundary.

Here’s a perspective: our towns (and even oceans) are expanding, but our forests are shrinking. Isn’t the choice obvious? National Parks in India are waiting.

Comments

Vashi | on 04 May 2018

Thank you for sharing the information about the wildlife sanctuaries of Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These are definitely the best in the list yet I would beg to differ as there is one more - Pench National Park (M.P)which people are least aware of. I would suggest you write about this as people of India should know about it.