The entire Loktak Lake was protected and declared a sanctuary in October 1953, mainly to save the sangai or Brow Antlered Deer, which was threatened by extinction. Following the re-discovery of the deer, in July 1954, this area was officially notified as a sanctuary in 1966 and a decade later, on March 28, 1977, the Keibul Lamjao National Park was created.

Keibul Lamjao is famous not just because of the brow-antlered deer; its other claim to fame is the fact that this is one of the very few `floating’ protected areas in the world.Approximately 50 km from the state capital, Imphal, Keibul Lamjao lies on an island on the fringes of the Loktak Lake.

The best way to see Keibul Lamjao is by boat- and that too in the early morning or in the evening, when the lake’s at its loveliest. The sangai, which live in small herds, lie low through most of the day and come out to feed either around dawn or at dusk, which makes a circuit at this time even more satisfying for wildlife-watchers. Local boatmen acting as guides can be engaged to take you around the lake.

Keibul Lamjao consists of the unique ‘phumdi’ or floating marshes. Eighty per cent of the flora is submerged and the vegetation forms a 90-120 cm. thick cover on the water surface. About half a century ago, the predominant plants used to be tou (45 per cent), singut (25 per cent) and khoimom (15 per cent). But the composition of the vegetation has undergone rapid changes and the plant cover, at present, is estimated to comprise of equal proportions of hoop Leersia hexandra and sing kambong Zizania latifolia, a protein-rich plant, often used as food (about 24 per cent).

This tiger reserve is located in the Terai bordering Nepal. The park covers 498.29 sq. km. and has fine sal forests and extensive grasslands. The tall coarse grass, swampy depressions and lakes characterise the wetlands of the Park. these are the habitat of large numbers of barasingha, the magnificent swamp deer. These in turn support the predators – the tiger and leopard.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve covers an area of 614 sq km along the Indo-Nepal border on one side and the river Suheli on the other. There are tall coarse grass, swampy depressions and lakes that offer the suitable breeding grounds for the barasingha – the swamp deer. Dudhwa is home to approximately 37 species of mammals, 16 species of reptiles and 400 species of avifauna.

The tiger reserve offers comfortable accommodation options of the forest homes; log huts, dormitory, tents and rest houses at Dudhwa, Sathiana, Bankatti, Sonaripur, and Kila. Thus you may take your pick that suits your budget. Though the environment is clean the facilities are minimum. The stay nevertheless is apt for your wildlife adventure tour. At Dudhwa you should try to maintain the ecological balance of the wildlife and not indulge in any activity that does the opposite.

The Bandipur National Park has wide stretches of grasslands and scrub forests. Some parts of this wildlife park are covered with dense forests comprising of evergreen and deciduous trees. The region gets its supply of water from the Moyar River.

Bandipur National Park is one place in India, which provides tranquil and serene atmosphere to its visitors. Nestled here are some very rare animals and birds you would like to have a rendezvous with. The Bandipur National Park is one of the most fascinating wild-life centers. Established in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajhas, this park is nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris.

Bandipur has a sizeable population of wildlife – elephant, spotted deer and sambar, gaur and flying squirrel, four horned antelope, Nilgiri langur and sloth bear. Amongst the reserve’s most prominent animals are its 1,900-odd elephants.

Jim Corbett National Park India has always been famous for their resident tigers. Initially Jim Corbett National Park reserve was named as ‘Hailey National Park’ in 1936. Jim Corbett National Park was renamed in 1954-55 as ‘Ramganga National Park’ and again in 1955-56 as ‘Jim Corbett National Park’ after Jim Corbett who hunted down tigers that had turned man-eaters, between 1907 to 1939. Jim Corbett National Park India is the 1st and oldest National Park of India. Jim Corbett National Park India was one of the nine Tiger Reserves created at the launch of the Project Tiger in 1973.

Corbett National Park was the first to be designated a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973. Situated at a distance of 260 kms from Delhi and 128 kms from Nainital, the Corbett National Park is best known for its big cats, especially the tiger. Despite the efforts of conservationists, the tiger population of India is dwindling rapidly, and Corbett National Park is one of the few parks where the tiger can still be seen. There are around 50 tigers in Corbett, besides other wildlife like leopards, several lesser cats, the wild dog, porcupines, jackals, civets, sloth bear, black bear, wild boar and a few hundred elephants.

The Corbett Park A conservationist’s heritage It is as though time has stood still in the last hundred years. The tiger yawns and stretches near the river after a hearty meal. Herds of beautiful spotted deer graze close by, knowing they are safe for several hours. The otters tease the tiger from afar. The crocodile ignores the otters, since he fancies only fish. The swift, mighty mahaseer however, at 50lbs, is more than a match for the crocodile. In the tall grass, one of the last few hog deers on earth eats the tender shoots of grass, disturbing the golden oriole who has just laid 3 perfect eggs in her nest by the river bank.

Corbett is the home of 580 species of birds including water fowl, 17 types of woodpecker, raptors like the Pallas fishing eagle, harriers and kites, peafowl, kalij pheasant, the rare chir pheasant, red jungle fowl, minivets, shrikes, cuckoos, drongos and barbets. A fine reservoir on the river formed with the building of a dam at Kalagarh now attracts diverse species of water birds – both local and migratory. With its avian variety Corbett is a marvellous location for bird watchers also.

Indeed, Bharatpur National Park, is correctly identified as the pleasant niche of the migratory birds and not surprisingly the home of the world’s most diligent bird watchers. Therefore, this is one of the most important breeding & feeding grounds for migratory birds in the world. Visitor birds swell the population of the park by one third traveling from as far as Europe & Siberia. These include the rare Siberian Crane traveling half the globe to reach Bharatpur.

Most of the parks of the ancient times were developed from the hunting preserves of the princes. But this park’s uniqueness is that it was the only animal house created by a king (Maharaja) for hunting. ‘Keoladeo’ is an ancient Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva in the centre of this park and ‘Ghana’ means dense, which are in context to the thick forests which covered this area. This is how Bharatpur National Park gets its name Keoladeo Ghana.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or the Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the best bird parks in the world that extends protection to fauna (animal) species also. The Sanctuary houses more than 300 species of birds and Keoladeo, the name of the sanctuary is derived from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which is located at the centre of the park. ‘Ghana’ means dense, referring to the thick forest, which used to cover the area. It houses indigenous water- birds along with migratory water birds and waterside birds and is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Bharatpur was originally the duck shooting reserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur. This marshy region was extended by the creation of embankments, channels and mud dams, which enlarged the nesting and feeding area of the birds on the orders of the Maharaja in 1890. The park consists of trees and forest surrounded by water bodies and marshy tracts.

The forest area of Pench National Park is redolent with tropical dry deciduous teak and interspersed with bamboo trees and other species of shrubs. The ‘Kullu tree’ (a species of gum tree) in Pench is a highlight, and visitors are often mesmerized by its almost white bark and spread out branches that are a startling contrast to the lush greenery around. In addition there are many rare varieties of herbs and grasses in this region -many of them of medicinal use. Fauna-wise, a number of endangered species have made it their habitat including the Indian wild dog, the wild pig, nilgai, chital, muntjac, gaur, the four-horned antelope and of course tigers. The tiger population in pench is one of the hightest – 55, in number. The park is also rich in bird life with over 200 species like barbets, bulbuls, minivets, orioles, wagtails, munias, mynas, waterfowls, and blue kingfishers. The Pench River and water streams that weave through the area, along with nallahs and ravines provide the perfect habitat for the water birds of this region. This is also the hunting ground for crocodiles and turtles.

The Pench Jungle Camp is a good place to stay and provides canvas tents and A/c rooms.The Jungle Camp also offers facilities like billiards room, badminton courts, wildlife research centre and a multi cuisine restaurant. The other accommodation facility is Bagh Van Lodge located just five minutes away from the entrance of the Pench National Park. It has cottage-type accommodation and also has a main dining and lounge area.

Pench Tiger Reserve is named after the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the Reserve. The Reserve is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hill range in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in the Madhya Pradesh State of India. The terrain is undulating, with most of the area covered by small hills, steeply sloping on the sides.

The landscape is dotted with ancient Banyan Trees, Dhok & Pipal trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts. The terrain is made up of massive rock formations, steep scarps, perennial lakes and streams and forest suddenly opening up into large areas of Savannah. The terrain of Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bush land. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with Dhok, being the most prominent tree.

Ranthambore is also categorised as a heritage site because of the picturesque ruins of the fort that dot the park. The lake palaces, ‘chhatris’, old fortifications and a majestic fort dating back to 1,000 years overlook the park. The Jogi Mahal and the Padam Talao are the unique features of Ranthambore National Park. The park is famous for the majestic Royal Bengal Tigers, which can be seen around the lakes and watering holes, prowling through the forest or resting on the ruins of the fort. Ranthambore National Park is one of the best sanctuaries to see tigers in their wild habitat in India. Many dignitaries have visited Ranthambore National Park to see its majestic tigers. President Bill Clinton of the United States came to Ranthambore National Park on his visit to India and expressed his delight at seeing the tigers of Ranthambore.

Ranthambhore National Park is home to more than 30 tigers. Besides the tiger Ranthambore is a sanctuary for a variety of animal and bird species. Some of the commonly sighted animals at Ranthambore are the jungle cat, hyena, langur, spotted deer, crocodile, sloth bear, sambhar, nilgai, caracal and leopards. Ranthambore has a large population of langurs and sambars. The sambar is a species of deer and is the largest Asiatic deer. The sambar is a tiger’s favourite prey.

The Kanha National Park is the only existing habitat of barasingha in India. The jewel of Kanha special programmes are into action to safeguard this species against complete extinction. Barasinghas are surviving here on account of the tall grass meadows in this park. Kanha is also known as the habitat of the tiger. The spotting of tigers and catching them in camera is quite ideal in this park. The first ever scientific study done on tigers by the great zoologist George Schaller was undertaken in this park. One can easily explore these animals on an elephant back or in a jeep under the guidance of a forest guide.

The grasslands at Kanha interspersed with forests of sal, teeming with varieties of deer – the barasingha, chital (spotted deer), chousingha, nilgai, the majestic gaur (Indian bison) and wild pig, is ‘tiger country’. It is ideal for viewing both the predator and the prey.

Early in the morning, after spending my night at the Krishna Jungle Resort just in front of the park entrance, I set out to seek the tiger in its coveted hideouts. Since I was there in the off-season, it was possible for me to have a jeep safari without prior booking. I was accompanied by a well informed guide, it took no time in locating the Tiger. Soon I found many of them- while the males were cooling off in the shades, the cubs were playing with the mother. I realized why it was chosen as the ideal location by the eminent zoologist George Schaller for undertaking the first ever scientific study on the Tiger. My guide informed that the “Project Tiger� was introduced here way back in1974 and since then the park is committed to the conservation as well as the regeneration of this highly endangered species.

While Corbett is justly famous for its healthy population of large mammals including the Indian Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant, it is as famous for its birds with over 500 species recorded from the area. Lesser Fish Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Tawny Fish and Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, Hodgson’s Bushchat, Bright-headed Cisticola, Rosy Minivet, White-tailed Rubythroat are just some of the species that are regularly seen in and around the park.

To visitors, the tigers sometimes prove elusive but the other wildlife is not. Elephants are numerous and move around singly or in herds. There are four varieties of deer in the park, and spotted and hog deer can be seen moving about near the river and in the grasslands and the forests. The main inhabitants of the park are the tiger, elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, wild dog, sloth bear, partridge, pheasant, jungle fowl and numerous other varieties of birds and animals. There are many opportunities for bird watchers in this park with over 580 species of birds. It is ideal to trek to one of the machans and sit patiently, perched high up, to view the animals and the birds. The Ramganga river flows through the Park and in it one can spot the gharial (fish eating crocodile) and the marsh crocodile.

The animals like Chital, Sambhar, and various other Deer species can be seen and the dense jungle be explored in the two-hour elephant safari. Jeep Safari is the most convenient mode of exploring the Corbett national park, and can be started from Ramnagar. One should always remember to bring binoculars, keep silence and not wear the bright colours or apply strong perfumes.

The thick forest of Bandhavgarh National Park sits in a bowl encircled by cliffs and wooded Vindhyan mountains, and its plains have a number of grass and reed covered wetlands where Kingfishers dive and Egrets sit poised, hunch-backed, in the shallows. Up above, vultures nestle in holes in the sheer cliffs.

Bandhavgarh National Park lays in Madhaya Pradesh covers an area of 450 sq. kms and is known for the highest density of tiger population in India. The tigers and leopards at Bandhavgarh attract several adventure seekers and wildlife freaks. The home of the white tiger Bandhavgarh National Park is for sure one of the most important wildlife preserves in India.