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National Parks & Sanctuaries in India

Dudhwa National Park Travel in India

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has two core areas- Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. These are 15 km apart, with agricultural land in between. Dudhwa National Park is situated on the Indo-Nepal border in the Lakhimpur-Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. The Mohana river flowing along the Indo-Nepal border constitutes the northern boundary of the Park whilst the southern boundary is formed by the river Suheli. The Kishanpur Sanctuary lies in the Lakhimpur-Kheri and Shahajahanpur districts in Uttar Pradesh.

The area of the Park is a vast alluvial plain, the doab of the Mohana and Suheli rivers, interspersed with numerous rivulets, lakes and pools. The rich and extremely fertile Indo-Gangetic plains support a luxuriant growth of forests and diversity of fauna.

Other inhabitants include the sloth bear, jackal, wild pig and the lesser cats - the fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cat and civet. Dudhwa has also an abundance of birds. Its marshes are home to a range of water birds both local and migratory. There are spectacular painted storks black and white necked storks, sarus cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet.

Best Time to Visit: November to May.

Gir National Park

Located in the south west of the Saurashtra peninsula, the Gir National Park is a haven to about 300 Asiatic lions. The 1,412.13 sq. km. Park has a rugged terrain and the steep rocky hillsides are covered in mixed deciduous forests.

There are teak, ber, and flame of the forest and banyan trees. Streams run through the deep ravines. The lions, a smaller more compact version of their African cousins, are best viewed at dawn or dusk when they are on the move.

Gir also has nearly 210 leopards and numerous chital, nilgai, chinkara, the four homed antelope and wild boar. Marsh crocodiles are often seen along its rivers.

The forest is rich in bird life and the paradise flycatcher black headed cuckoo shrike woodpecker, Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, painted sand grouse, bush quail and grey partridge are among the variety that is found here. Three unusual reserves, the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary where large numbers of water-birds can be seen; the bare saline flats of the Rann of Kutch, incredibly the home of the Indian wild ass and the spectacular Flamingo Island where nesting colonies of flamingoes are to be seen, make Gujarat an exciting place for wildlife enthusiasts.

Best Time to Visit: December- Mid- June (Closed during Monson till mid October).

Kanha National Park

Kanha Tiger Reserve comparieses parts of the Mandla, Balaghat, Kwardha and dinodor distrcts fothe Indian state fo Madhya Pradesh. It is located in the Malkal hills of the Satpura hill range Kanha is internationally renowned for its rich floral and faunal attributes.

The Reserve is an excellent interspersion of the Dadars garassy expanses, dense forest and riverine forest. It is very rich in floral largely due to the combination of land forms and soil types apart from the most character of the regaion. The rich habitat diversity of the Reserve suuports abundant animal communities and the lesser life forms, The Reserve is the sanctum sanctorum of typical Central Indian Fauna.

Kanha has distinguished itself in saving the endangered Centeral Indian Barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi) from extinction and harboring the only population of this deer species in the World. Phen Wildlife sanchary (Phen WLS) in the North East of Kanha has been made the mini satellite core of the Reserve.

Best Time to Visit: October to April