Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
Si GHTS
Rajasthan
SAR iSKA Ti GER R ESERVE
TRAIN
There are six daily trains to Delhi (6.40am,
7.14am, 11am, 3.40pm, 6.39pm and 7.34pm). it
takes three to four hours. Second-class seats
cost ₹47; sleepers around ₹140. Most go to (Old)
Delhi train station.
it’s also three to four hours to Jaipur from
here. There are seven daily trains (5.05am,
7.13am, 8.40am, 2.15pm, 2.52pm, 6.03pm and
8.52pm). Prices are almost identical to those
for Delhi.Sariska Tiger Reserve
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Enclosed within the dramatic, shadowy
folds of the Aravallis, Sariska ̈ Tiger ̈ Re-
serve (indian/foreigner ₹60/450, vehicle ₹250;
hticket sales 7am-3.30pm Oct-Mar, 6.30am-4pm
Apr-Sep, park closes at sunset) is a tangle of
remnant semideciduous jungle and craggy
canyons sheltering streams and greenery. It
covers 866 sq km (including a core area of
498 sq km), and is home to peacocks, mon-
keys, sambars, nilgais, chitals, wild boars,
jackals and a handful of tigers.
Although Project Tiger has been in charge
of the sanctuary since 1979, there has been
a dramatic failure to protect tigers here.In 2005 it was revealed that there were no
longer any tigers left in the park. Since then,
some tigers have been relocated from nearby
Ranthambhore, and cubs have even been
born, although some experts are sceptical
as to whether or not the relocation program
will work in the long run.
Tigers aside, Sariska is a fascinating sanc-
tuary. Unlike most national parks, it usu-
ally opens year-round. The best time to spot
wildlife is November to March.1 ̈Sights
Besides wildlife, Sariska has some fine sights
within the park or around its peripheries
that are well worth seeking out. If you take a
longer tour, you can ask to visit one or more
of these. A couple of them are also accessible
by public bus.Kankwari ̈Fort ̈ FORT
Deep inside the sanctuary, this imposing
small jungle fort, 22km away from Sariska,
offers amazing views over the plains of the
park, dotted with red mud-brick villages.
A four- to five-hour jeep safari (one to five
passengers plus guide) to Kankwari Fort
from the Forest Reception Office near theSARISKA’S ̈TIGER ̈TROUBLES
Sariska Tiger Reserve took centre stage in one of India’s most publicised wildlife dra-
mas. In 2005 an Indian journalist broke the news that the tiger population here had
been eliminated, a report that was later confirmed officially after an emergency census
was carried out.
An inquiry into the crisis recommended fundamental management changes before
tigers be reintroduced to the reserve. Extra funding was proposed to cover relocation
of villages within the park as well as increasing the protection force. But action on the
recommendations has been slow and incomplete despite extensive media coverage and
a high level of concern in India.
Nevertheless, a pair of tigers from Ranthambhore National Park were moved by heli-
copter to Sariska in 2008. By 2010, five tigers had been transferred. However, in No-
vember 2010 the male of the original pair was found dead in suspicious circumstances.
Later it was confirmed that it had been poisoned. Authorities pointed the finger at local
villagers, who are not supportive of the reintroduction. The underlying problem – the
inevitable battle between India’s poorest and ever-expanding village populace with
the rare and phenomenally valuable wildlife on their doorstep – remains largely unre-
solved despite official plans to relocate and reimburse villagers. At the time of research,
though, 25 of the 28 villages within the park h ad yet to be relocated.
In early 2012 the first cubs were sighted, and plans to relocate another three tigers
from Ranthambhore were at an advanced stage at the time of research. That would
bring the total number of tigers in Sariska to 10.
Only time will tell if this reintroduction is successful – another concern is that many
of the reintroduced tigers are closely related. As things stand, Sariska remains a sad
indictment of tiger conservation in India, from the top government officials down to the
underpaid forest guards.