Wild and Wonderful
Animals | Birds | Bird Sanctuaries
India has an extremely rich and varied wildlife, though many species only survive in very restricted environments. On one hand you can enjoy the wild big cats like Lion and Tigers, on other you can relish the migratory and birds, You can view the magnificent Indian elephant and even ride on it, or be intimidated by the great Indian one horned Rhinoceros.
Wild deer's and rabbits are a beautiful sight to every tourist. The peacock - India's national bird is found in the hilly jungles and dense scrubs, some have been domesticated due to its beauty and utility to farmers.
National Parks & Sanctuaries
Alarmed by the rapid loss of wildlife habitat the Indian Government established the first conservation measures in 1972, followed by the setting up of National Parks and Reserves, 25,000 square km were set aside in 1973 for Project Tiger. Now tigers are reported to be increasing steadily in several of the game reserves. The same is true of other, less well-known species. Their natural habitat has been destroyed both by people and by domesticated animals. There are now nearly 70 National Parks and 330 sanctuaries, in addition to programmes of afforestation and coastline preservation.
Most Parks and Sanctuaries are open from October-March; those in the northeast are closed from April-September, while many in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh close July-September.
- The Gir forest is the only surviving home of the Asiatic lions, whereas, blackbuck is being conserved at Valvadhar in Gujrat.
- Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Kerala is best known for its Wild elephants.
- Assam has the rare one horned Rhinoceros in Manas and Kaziranga parks.
- Kashmir Stag is conserved at the Dachigham near Srinagar.
- Manipur houses the Thamin Deer, which is on its verge of extinction.
Project Tiger, initiated in 1973, identified the areas where the tigers could be conserved in their natural habitat. Madhya Pradesh boasts of two parks- Bandhavgarh and Kanha. While Rajasthan has Sariska and Ranthambore. Uttar Pradesh also has Corbett Park and Dudhwa.
Famous Tiger Reserves of India
Bird Sanctuaries
Bird sanctuaries not only attract birds from India but also from places like Europe, Siberia, China and Tibet. Before monsoon hundreds of these exotic birds roost and engage in nest building activities.
Migratory birds provide a rare treat to the ornithologists.
The most famous bird sanctuaries are :
Bird watching is a delight in Winters at Bharatpur and Sariska.
More on Indian Birds>>
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