India is an incredible country for its nature, culture, climate, religion, historical places, etc. Other than this India is also famous for its wildlife tourism as 4% of the total country's land which is about 1,40,000 sq km of area is allotted for the protection of wildlife in India. In the earlier time, various marine and wildlife species were on the verge of extinction. But in recent times, the government of India brought the protection and nourishing plan to preserve them. Through this plan, they not only protected and preserved the wildlife in the jungle but also created awareness and educated the huge population on how not to harm but protect our wildlife species. And this is how animals and men learned to live in harmony and peace. There are about 421 Sanctuaries and 75 National Parks, and among these 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. The Geographical conditions of our country and the climatic diversity make it a better place for around 360 mammals and 1300 species of birds to live. India is also called a land of animals like rhinoceros, elephants, tigers, and peacocks and the wildlife here is a delight for nature lovers. You can find various wildlife sanctuaries in all north, south, east, and west parts of India.
India has some of the finest tiger reserves, and bird and wildlife statuaries. Some of the famous “Project Tiger” wildlife reserves are located at Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Ranthambore National Park. this positive step is taken in such areas to save and preserve the Tiger in India which was on the verge of extinction in the past. There are some of the finest bird sanctuaries which are located in areas like Ranganathittu, Vembanad, and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuaries. There are some other wildlife sanctuaries like the Tiger Reserve at Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary, Shivpuri Natural Reserve, Jim Corbett National Park, and Bannerghatta National Park. In these National Parks, you can find deer, monkeys, tigers, lions, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, Sloth bears, rhinoceros blackbuck, wild boar, cobras, and peacocks which are the major attractions in India. The wildlife attractions of India are immense and worth appreciation. In India, various rare and endangered species are reserved for tourists worldwide to visit. Some of the major National parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of India are as follows:
Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand)
This is the first wildlife reserve in India and is spread over an area of 500 sq km in the foothills of the Himalayan range. This National park was established in the year 1936. This Jim Corbett National Park was named after a famous icon hunter who later turned conservationist that is Mr. Corbett. Corbett attained the position of the first national park that was established in Northern India in the foothills of the Himalayan range in the year 1936. This part is located at an altitude of 365 meters to 1100 meters above sea level. The best time to visit this National park is from 15 November to 15 June but remains closed from June till October due to the heavy rainfall.
Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)
This Ranthambore National Park is located near Sawai Madhopur at a distance of 11 km in Rajasthan. This National park was recognized as a game sanctuary in the year 1955 and later in year 1973 the ‘Project Tiger’ was brought here and in the year 1980, this sanctuary became a National park. This National park is the home to Bengal tigers. As per recent reports, 40 tigers exist in this national park of which 14 are males, 16 are females and around 10 are cubs. The best time to visit this National Park is from October to March month and again from April to June month but from 1 July to 30 September each year, this park remains closed.
Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary (Rajasthan)
This Wildlife Sanctuary is located at a distance of 37 km from the Alwar city of Rajasthan. This land was recognized as a sanctuary in the year 1955 and in year 1979, this park officially became a Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. The total area of this park is spread in the area of over 800 sq km and from this 480 sq km of the area comes under ‘Project Tiger’. Other than wildlife and gaming there are various historical attractions also present in this Wildlife Sanctuary. This park remains open throughout the year but the best time to visit this Wildlife Sanctuary is from October till June.
Nagarahole National Park (Karnataka)
This National Park was established in the year 1955. The name of this park is derived from two Kannada words ‘Nagar’ which means the snake, and ‘hole’ which means stream, as in this tropical park you can see many streams of snakes. This national park is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is the largest protected forest area in India. You can visit the National Park throughout the year but during the mating season and monsoon season, the National Park remains closed.
Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat)
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary are located at a distance of 65 km from Junagarh which is in Gujarat. This park was established in the year 1965 and is spread over an area of over 1412 sq km. out of this 1153 km is a wildlife Sanctuary and the other 258 km is a protected area where endangered species are kept. Here you have about 40 species of reptiles and around 2000 species of invertebrates. There are around 250 species of birds that can be found here. The best time to visit this national park is all year round but the ideal time is from November till June month.
Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
This National Park is spread over an area of over 1940 sq km which is also known as a wildlife reserve. This Kanha National Park was established in the year 1955. The tiger reserve was created in the year 1974 under Project Tiger. There are over 200 species of birds that can be spotted in this park. Kanha National Park has the largest population of Tigers in the country. The best time to visit is from April to June and from November to January.
Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
This national park is spread in an area of over 105 sq km and other than this the buffer area is around 400 sq km. this National Park is named on the name of Bandhavgarh mountain which is of a height of807 meters. There is also an ancient fort which is located on the mountain. As per the legends, it is believed that this form was gifted to Lakshman who was the younger brother of Lord Rama. This park was officially acknowledged in the year 1982. In the year 1993, this park was declared under Project Tiger. The best time to visit this park is from February to June, but during the monsoon season from 1 July to 30 September, this park remains closed.
