When it comes to the countries with the world’s highest biological diversity, India is a worthy mention. India is a beautiful country that has moist evergreen hills, lush mountain forests, and tall bamboo forests that all support a wide variety of wildlife. India’s national animal and bird are the tiger and the peacock respectively.
Visiting India is a sure way to quench your thirst for knowledge and adventure and White Heaven Holidays India is a tour company that was specifically started to meet the needs of both domestic and foreign tourists. With over 20 years’ experience, they have set a remarkable track record of customer satisfaction and unbeatable prices. They seek to make your trip comfortable and memorable by making it stress-free and organizing trips that are tailored to each individual. Their vast knowledge of the country places them in a perfect position to create a plan that will suit honeymooners, groups, corporates, or individuals.
There is a unique excitement associated with seeing animals out in the wild, in their natural habitat, undisturbed, and free. India has over 120 national parks, 18 bio-reserves, and over 500 wildlife sanctuaries. Wildlife and nature enthusiasts are sure to have an adrenaline rush in this country. The best areas to see these animals and birds include:
Animals
Ranthambore National Park: this is among the top ten best sanctuaries in India. It was made a tiger reserve in 1973 which is home to Bengal tigers. Here, they are in their natural habitat and visitors can easily spot them even during the daytime. It is also home to the Nilgai, wild boar, leopard and the hyena.
Gir National Park and Sasan Gir Sanctuary: this is the only place in India where you can see the Asiatic lions. Due to a lot of lion hunting in the past, the lions almost became extinct but the government, activists, and NGOs intervened and now the lions are protected. There are also jungle cats, striped hyenas, golden jackals, wild boars, and monitor lizards among others.
Corbett National Park: it was established in 1936 as a means to protect the Bengal Tigers. Wildlife enthusiasts would enjoy this wilderness and the beauty it possesses due to the spectacular animals and the fact that it has been featured in numerous documentaries in relation to creating awareness on the Bengal tigers. Other animals present include 586 species of birds, seven fish species, and 33 species of reptiles.
Kaziranga National Park: this is the only natural habitat in the world where you can find the One-Horned Rhino. It has 2,413 rhinos. It also boasts of having the highest number of tigers in a protected area and thus in 2006, it was declared a tiger reserve. While there, you will also encounter swamp deer, elephants, and buffaloes. It is also home to the rock python and the reticulated pythons which are two of the largest snakes in the world.
Periyar National Park: interestingly, it has an artificial lake that flows through the forest. Both an elephant and tiger reserve, this park is also home to other animals such as deer, lion-tailed macaque, Salim Ali’s fruit bat, and around 266 bird species.
Birds
Keoladeo Ghana National Park: a birder’s paradise, this national park has over 350 species of birds including herons, storks, cormorants, babblers, painted francolins and many more. It has both exotic and migratory birds, and its diversity makes it one of the largest in the world. Ornithologists find this an ideal place to observe and learn more of the bird species.
Pench National Park: ‘the jungle book’ is based on the surroundings of this park. It has animals like the tigers, leopards, wild dogs, and sloth bear. It also has over 170 species of birds making it ideal for birders interested in exploring the variety of species available.
Manas National Park: it is a unique national park as it also quadruples to being a world heritage site, a tiger reserve, and a biosphere reserve. It is home to over 60 species of mammals, over 40 species of reptiles, five species of fish and over 320 species of birds. The Bengal florican, adjutant storks (greater and lesser), rofous-necked hornbill, and the black-breasted parrotbill can be spotted within the sanctuary.
Silent Valley National Park: this area presents beautiful scenery with over 150 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies and over a thousand plant variants. The presence of river Kunthi makes the place look magnificent. Some of the birds found include the rufous babbler, Malabar Parakeet, the Indian hornbill, and the broad-tailed grassbird.
With the variety of wildlife that India has, it is unfortunate that over 250 species of animals are endangered and are in dire need of protection. The government and other interested parties have set up initiatives that are meant to see that these animals are protected to ensure the continuance of their species. These initiatives are:
Creation of conservation centers: these centers are set up to enable the studying, protecting, and conserving both wildlife and vegetation. The centers are sub-divided into wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas, and wildlife reserves.
Project Elephant: this project seeks to protect elephants and their natural habitat by addressing issues facing them like deforestation and poaching.
Project Tiger: initiated in 1991, the tiger project involves creating reserves that tigers can call home. Also, it seeks to reduce external interference into their habitat. Currently, there are over 37,000 square miles made up of of over 25 reserves.
Wildlife Trust in India: India is home to numerous species of vegetation and animals, both marine and on land. This trust is solely dedicated to ensuring that nature is conserved.
India is such a beautiful country to visit with great people, tasty food, incredible movies from Bollywood, and just as importantly, spectacular wildlife and nature. This is a country where you will find a whole new appreciation for animals and plants. Make it your next destination for the best, memorable moments.