The Indian landmass is home to a large variety of flora and fauna. India has an amazingly wide variety of wildlife animals and birds that live in the diverse terrain of the country. From ferocious Royal Bengal tigers to Asiatic Elephants, India houses this huge variety of animals in its 89 national parks, 18 Bio-Reserves and more than 400 wildlife sanctuaries.
The Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas and Indo-Burma region are the three of the 34 most biodiversity rich spots in the world. According to a study, India is one of the 17 countries that host about 60 to 70 per cent of the world’s biodiversity.
However, due to irresponsible interference of humans with the ecosystem has resulted in the loss and extinction of many species. Due man’s interference with nature and the threats that have risen out of this, conservation of these biodiversity rich spots and their wildlife in India have become important.
Due to this, national parks and wildlife reserves have come up in different parts of the country where a healthy interaction of humans and wildlife is encouraged. India, today, has as many as 15 biosphere reserves for the conservation of endemic and endangered species, out of which four are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
It is important on our part to understand and respect the balance of nature and interact responsibly with these ecologically sensitive areas. Thrillophilia understands this responsibility and hence carefully designs wildlife tour packages for different parts of India that not only allow you to experience the wild but without disturbing the equilibrium set by nature. The packages designed by Thrillophilia are a careful combination of fun and experiential tours and are created specifically to cater to all your needs.
Wildlife in North India
North India abounds in wildlife and presents a spectacular picture of wildlife in India. The vegetation in North India is mainly deciduous and coniferous and hosts a wide variety of wildlife.
The North Indian region hosts about 500 species of mammals, 2000 varieties of birds and 30,000 types of insects, besides being home to a wide range of fish, amphibians and reptiles. The wildlife of North India includes animals such as the elephants, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, chital, fox, Tibetan Sand Fox, Rhesus Monkey, langurs, jungle cats, hyenas, jackals etc.
North India too has its share of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the most popular sanctuaries of North India are the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir, Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh, Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh etc.
The Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand is India’s first National Park and was established in 1936. The park, which was declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973, acts as a conservation ground for the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Jim Corbett National Park is an important eco-tourism destination and is one of the few places in the country where you can view wildlife in India in its full splendour.
Wildlife in East India
The Eastern part of India also boasts of a fair share of wildlife. The wildlife in this part of the country is unique and diverse. In fact, some of the endangered species of the world are found in this part of the country. There a number of wildlife sanctuaries in Assam, Bihar and Bengal, some of which are significant contributors in the redeeming the number of dwindling species and saving the wildlife in India
The wildlife of Eastern India is constituted by wild buffaloes, rhinoceros, Pigmy Hog, Hispid Hare etc. The North Eastern states support the largest bird biodiversity in the Orient and play host to as many as 850 varieties of birds.
The major wildlife sanctuaries of Eastern India include the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the Manas National Park in Assam, Orang National Park in Assam and the Sunderban National Park in West Bengal. Of these the Manas National Park has been declared as a World Heritage Site and is home to as many as 55 mammals, 50 reptiles, 380 birds and three amphibians.
The Sunderbans National Park too has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The national park spreads over an archipelago of 54 islands across India and Bangladesh. The Sunderbans National Park is the largest reservoir of wild tigers and has, presently, about 400 tigers. Other wildlife species that can be spotted in the Sunderbans include rock pythons, water monitors, monkey and chital.
Wildlife in Western India
The wildlife in the western part of India is rich and diverse. Western India is teeming with flora and fauna and boasts of a number of spectacular wildlife sanctuaries and national parks that abound in Asiatic Lions, Blackbucks, Indian Wild Ass, Olive Ridley Turtles, Eels, Wolves and Desert Cats. Western India also has marine wildlife sanctuaries that are actively involved in the conservation of endangered Ridley turtles, shrimps, sponges, green sea urchins and dolphins.
Some of the important wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the Western part of the country are Gir National Park in Gujarat, Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa etc.
The Gir National Park in Gujarat is home to more than 300 Asiatic Lions and 200 leopards. Spread over an area of 1,412 sq km, the reserve is the only area dedicated to Asiatic lions. Apart from lions and leopards, the reserve also shelters 2,375 species of different fauna, out of which 38 species are mammals, 300 species are birds, 37 species are reptiles and 2,000 species are insects, making this park a truly diverse place for wildlife in India
The Ranthambore National Park is another popular sanctuary that presents a spectacular view of wildlife in India. Located in the Southeastern part of Rajasthan, Ranthambore is best known for its tigers.
Wildlife in South India
The Southern part of India is one of the richest parts of the country in terms of flora and fauna. The Nilgiri biosphere is one of the most important conservations regions in the country. The Western and the Eastern Ghats are rich reserves of wildlife and are important conservation areas too.
Some of the important of the important national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of South India are the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu, Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, Parambikulam National Park in Kerala, the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, the Wayanad National Park in Kerala and the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary situated in the Western Ghats.
Some of the most important tiger reserves are also located in this part of the country and include the Periyar National Park and the Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Kerala and is best known for its elephants. It is home to about 62 different kinds of mammals, 320 kinds of birds, 45 species of reptiles, 160 types of butterflies etc. Some of the other fauna that you can spot at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary are caecilians, salmon, trout, mouse deers, barking deers and Nilgiri tahir. This park is a prime example of the diversity of wildlife in India.
Wildlife in Central India
Due to its diverse terrain, Central India is a huge reservoir of flora and fauna. Central India has about 35 wildlife sanctuaries dedicated to the conservation of endemic and endangered species. A visit to Central India will give you the opportunity to get a snapshot of the diversity of wildlife in India.
Some of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in Central India are the Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhav National Park, Sanjay National Park, Indravati National Park, Narsinghgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary etc.
The Kanha National Park is situated in Madhya Pradesh and is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in the country. Spread over an area of 940 sq. km, the park is home to a significant population of Royal Bengal Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Barasingha and Indian wild dogs.
Bandhavgarh National Park, also located in Madhya Pradesh, is another popular wildlife sanctuary that is known for its large biodiversity. The Bandhavgarh National Park has the highest tiger population among all other sanctuaries in the country.
