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ranks alongside Africa as one of the last remaining concentrations
of wildlife on this planet. Consider these amazing facts : |
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| Size |
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There are over 80 National Parks and 400 Sanctuaries
across the length and breadth of the sub-continent. These cover
around 4.5% of the land area of this large country and have all
been created in the last 50 years (post Independence). No other
single country has so many protected areas created exclusively
for wildlife.
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These parks have helped resurrect several animal
species hunted close to extinction by erstwhile Maharajas and the
members of the British Raj. The population of tigers has more than
doubled in the last 30 years, and the number of elephants in the
wild has also gone up appreciably.
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| Diversity |
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India has over 500 species of mammals and 1200
species of birds. The most well-known are the Royal Bengal tiger,
the Asian elephant, the one-horned rhinoceros and the Gir lion.
However, there are a number of fascinating and unique animals which
live in the Indian jungles. A few of these are mentioned here :
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Many varieties of antelopes and deer like the
Chinkara (deserts in the West), the beautiful and endangered Indian
Black Buck (forests in the West), the elusive barking deer (many
protected areas), the large Sambhar deer (most National parks),
and the swamp deer (parks in the East). Herds of 'Chital' or spotted
deer are very commonly seen.
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Mountain
goats like the Himalayan Tahr (Himalayas), the Nilgiri Tahr (Western
Ghats) and the Yak (Eastern Himalayan ranges). |
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The
majestic Indian bison or 'Gaur' (mainly in the South). |
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A
large variety of monkeys including the endangered Lion-tailed macaque
(mainly in the South), the black-faced Langurs and the common bonnet
macaque. |
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Other
carnivores like the leopard (most forests), the fierce Indian wild
dogs or 'Dhole' (mainly in the South), panthers (protected areas)
and jungle cats. |
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Beautiful
tree-living mammals like the Indian giant squirrel, the Malabar
flying squirrel and the flying fox. |
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A
fascinating variety of beautiful birds, jungle fowl, reptiles, amphibians
and lizards. |
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Tigers are found across the country, from the
foothills of the Himalayas to the tip of the Western ghats in the
South. However, the larger concentrations are in the central parts
of the country (Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh).
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Elephants are also found all across the country,
but can be found more in the South along the forests of the Western
ghats.
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The
vegetation of Indian forests is immense in its variety. These include
moist deciduous forests in the foothills of the Himalayas, the evergreen
forests in the East and the parts of the South, dry deciduous forests
in the Central and Southern parts and deserts in the West. Forest
ranges high up in the Himalayas have extremely cold and inhospitable
landscapes, but are home to some spectacular species of animals like
the snow leopards. |
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| Infrastructure |
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Most of the larger National Parks have good tourism
infrastructure, consisting of both private forest lodges and hotels,
as well as those run by the State tourism and forest departments.
Parks are normally reached by taking an air or train ride to the
nearest town and then a road drive to reach the sanctuary. Air and
rail connections in India are very extensive and efficient. Roads
can be a bit bumpy at times when you are not on the National highways,
but this is part of the fun of wildlife travel in India.
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The smaller parks may not have a number of hotels,
but our Maharajas and Sahibs have left behind reasonably good hunting
lodges and forest bungalows in many of these places which continue
to cater to tourists. As can be expected, these lodges are located
in very picturesque spots in the forest.
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Hunting of wild animals is completely banned
in India. The parks and sanctuaries are administered by the Government.
Entry to outsiders is normally restricted to sight seeing. No commercial
activity is allowed inside the parks. Private forest lodges and
hotels are generally located on the outskirts of the forests.
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A number of NGOs, conservationists and nature-lovers
are working tirelessly to try and reverse the declining numbers
of endangered species. It is an uphill and often unrewarding task.
But for the efforts of these passionate people, Indian wildlife
would be history by now.
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| Click
Here to get a list of Books
on Indian Wildlife. |
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