The Lure of the Jungle

India's flora and fauna are as diverse as its cultural fabric. The sub-continent has many fascinating sights for nature lovers. Home to many rare and unique species - the majestic tiger, the Asiatic lion, the one horned rhinoceros, the wild ass, the Asian elephant, many species of deer, bears, leopards, monkeys, antelopes and birds - India's wildlife sanctuaries are a nature lovers delight. India is home to over 350 species of mammals, and 1,200 species of birds.

In all India has 80 National Parks and 441 sanctuaries, of which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. The total area of India's protected wilderness is approximately 140,000 sq km. This constitutes 4% of the country's total land area. Not only are these vast tracts of forests preserved as natural habitats for wildlife, but they are rendered even more unique by the fact that they vary from region to region and each has something unique be it its flora, fauna, avi-fauna or aqua-fauna. Many of species they harbour are rare and endangered. Along with preserving wildlife in forests, due attention has also been paid to areas where animals co-exist with humans.

In the Western part of the country you have the Gir Forest in Gujarat which is the only surviving home of the Asiatic lion. The arid Rann of Kutch, also in Gujarat, is home to the wild ass. The Western Ghats which stretch along the entire west coast right upto Kerala have their own unique species of animals and birds and are home to the wild elephant. In the East you have the Kaziranga National park which is home to the unique one-horned Rhinoceros, the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur known for the its rare Thamin Deer species and the wet swamps of Sunderbans, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Sanctuaries in the North like Corbett National Park and Ranthambore are best known as tiger and leopard reserves, while others like Dachigam in Kashmir preserve the natural habitat for the Hangul or Kashmir Stag and the snow leopard. Migratory birds from the continent prefer Bharatpur as their winter home. Here one can spot families of the Siberian Crane, the ibis, pelicans, barons and many more birds nesting and nurturing their young. The South has also got many lush forests where the vegetation and wildlife vary enormously. There is the Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka, home to the four-horned antelope, sloth bear, jungle cat, civet, spotted deer and elephants. Near Mysore is the Mudumalai Sanctuary famous for gaur and wild elephant.

Wandering about in a sanctuary and witnessing the wildlife is a fascinating experience. Nothing can quite match the thrill of spotting a striped predator amidst the tall grass or the wetlands, seeing herds of wild elephants and deer in their natural habitat, or watching a peacock dance in splendour.

What makes the experience even more enthralling is that most Indian sanctuaries can be explored on elephant back. Of course, for those who prefer comfort to adventure, all sanctuaries can be explored by jeep.