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Ranthambore National Park
One of the most famous tiger reserves of India, Ranthambore National Park is situated in eastern Rajasthan. Surrounded by Vindhyas and Aravallis, it has many artificial lakes along with beautiful pavilions, palaces and the Ranthambore fort.
This former hunting preserves of Jaipur royalty has Tigers, Leopards, Blue Bulls, Ratels and Wild Boars along with over 300 species of avian fauna as its highlights.The lakes and pools at the Park are where the deer congregate and where it is easiest to see the animals.
Among the other local fauna are the leopard, hyena, jackal, jungle cats, sloth bear and marsh crocodile. Jacanas.
painted sto-k. hiaci-. stork, and white necked stork are seen along the water bodies. Peafowl are found in abundance and other birds include Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, the great Indian horned owl, quail, partridge, spur fowl and the paradise flycatcher.Ranthambore has large numbers of sambar, chital and nilgai. Sounders of boar and an occasional gazelle - the chinkara can be seen, as also the Indian hare, mongoose and monitor lizards.
Corbett National Park
Corbett has aptly been described as the land of the Roar, Trumpet and Song.
It represents a scene of remarkable beauty.Corbett had the proud distinction of being the chosen venue for the inauguration of Project Tiger in India.
The rich bio-diversity of the Reserve is partly attributed to the variety of habitat found here. Due to the location of the Reserve in the foothills of the Central Himalayas, both Himalayan and peninsular flora and fauna is found in the Reserve.
The grasslands, locally known as Chaurs, are limited.
The largest grasslamnd is the Dhikala Chaur. Some of the best grasslands including the famous Buxor Chaur and the Beri Chaur were submerged in the Ramganga reservoir in 1974. The areas made available as a result of the relocation of the villages, Dhara, Jhirna and Kothirau in 1994 are being developed into grasslands through habitat management.
Kaziranga National Park
In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds.
Fairly early on- in 1908, in fact- Kaziranga was declared a reserve forest and was officially closed for shooting; at the time it could boast of only a few dozen rhinos. By 1950 the area was a wildlife sanctuary, and in 1974 it was designated a national park.
Bounded by the misty blue hills of Barail and Karbi Anglong to the south, the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Today it’s one of the few places in India where it’s possible to see the rhino out in the open- an awesome sight indeed. And, what’s better still, the rhino population of Kaziranga now numbers more than a thousand of the creatures.
Endangered, no doubt, but protected too. One can go to Kaziranga from Guwahati by road.
Alternatively, one can take a boat ride on the mighty Brahmaputra River. One can also hire jeeps or cars to reach Kaziranga through a narrow road. You need to leave the jeep after some time and hop over elephants to go inside the forest reserve.
Wildlife in India... |
