VolVolVVolVVolVolVol. 6 Issue 12oo. 6. 6 6 Is Isssuesuessuesue 12 121212222When Project Tiger – the conservation
scheme administered by the National
Tiger Conservation Authority – was
launched in India in April 1973 it
established nine Tiger Reserves.
Now there are 47 across the country,
with varying levels of access and
infrastructure for visitors. These are
eight of the most rewarding to explore.
1 Bandhavgarh National Park
This former hunting forest of the
Maharajas of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh is
blessed with hills and steep escarpments,
making it one of the most beautiful
reserves. Porous rocks store monsoon
rains, ensuring year-round water – great
for tigers. High visitor numbers have to an
extent habituated the tigers to jeeps and
disturbance, and the prime range, 105km^2
of sal forest and grassland around Tala
Village, is a top area for sightings.
2 Kanha National Park
When Kanha was established, 26
villages were relocated, leaving wide
meadows among the grand forests of
sal. Famous for its rare dry-land swamp
deer, Kanha also hosts other large
prey such as gaur and plentiful sambar
to support one of the biggest tiger
populations in India.
3 Tadoba National Park
A lesser-known reserve in Maharashtra,
Tadoba has limited accommodation
and a tarmac road through its centre.
Nevertheless tiger encounters have
been excellent in recent years, together
with regular sightings of dhole, sloth
bear and leopard.
4 Ranthambore National Park
Proximity to Delhi can give this reserve
the feel of a tourist trap. But its lakes
and red-coloured fort, immortalised in
films and books, provide a picturesque
backdrop to sightings. Despite incidents
of heavy poaching, this lovely patch of
Rajasthan still has visible tigers.
5 Kaziranga National Park
The vast grasslands and riverine forests
of Kaziranga lie in the floodplains of the
Brahmaputra in Assam. It holds one of
the highest-density tiger populations
8
TOP PLACES
TO SEE TIGERS
IN INDIA
in the world but, with so much cover,
the cats can be hard to spot. Kaziranga
is also the stronghold of the greater
one-horned rhinoceros, and has good
numbers of Indian elephants.6 Pench National Park
This reserve in western Madhya Pradesh
is only two hours’ drive from the large city
of Nagpur, so gets busy at weekends,
and the visitor experience is over-
managed. But the large reservoir at its
heart means there is always water and
always a chance of seeing tigers and
other predators. The BBC made the
series Tiger – Spy in the Jungle here with
a remote-controlled ‘log-cam’.7 Corbett National Park
Project Tiger was officially launched in
Corbett, in what is now Uttarakhand
state in the foothills of the Himalaya.
With its surrounding forests Corbett
still holds probably India’s second-
biggest tiger population. Though its
limited network of forest tracks means
sightings are infrequent, Corbett’s varied
landscape holds Indian elephants and is
superb for birdwatching.500kmProbable
range
of tigersPAKISTANBANGLADESHBURMANEPAL
BHUTANINDIASRI LANKABay of BengalKolkataMumbaiChennaiNew DelhiArabian Sea8 Nagarahole National Park
Part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere
Reserve, this national park in Karnataka
in the foothills of the Western Ghats
mostly comprises moist and dry
deciduous forests. Visit for sightings of
tiger, leopard, otter and Indian elephant.1
23489567Clockwise from left: Andy Rouse; Theo Allofs/BIOS/FLPA; Andy Rouse/naturepl.com; Shaik Mohir Uddin/GettyWith ancient temples
and plentiful water,
Bandhavgarh is among
India’s most attractive
tiger reserves