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National Parks & Sanctuaries in India

Kaziranga National Park Travel in India

Kaziranga National Park covers an area of about 430 sq. km. Its swamps and grasslands with tall thickets of elephant grass and patches of evergreen forest, support the largest number of rhino in the subcontinent. In 1940, Kaziranga was declared a sanctuary. Though poaching still constitutes a major threat to the rhino population, the numbers of this species are fairly healthy.

Located along the main highway, Kaziranga is easily accessible and the chance to see animals in the wild at such close quarters makes a visit to the Park a very rewarding experience.

Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Manas Tiger Reserve

Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam was created in 1973 when Project Tiger was launched in India. The Reserve area falls in six districts. Kokrajhar, Bangaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang of the Indian state of the Reserve. Manas is located at the confluence of Indian, Ethiopean and Indo-Chineser realms resulting in a magnificent bio-diversity.

It is situated on the northern bak of the river Brahmaputra. Their are numerous rivers criss-crossing the Reserve, namely Sankosh, Saralbangha, Hel, Tanali, Courang, Sidli (Bhor), Aio, Mans, Beki Pathimari, kaladia, Tihunala, Morepagaldia, Nala, Braalia, Pbornodi and Dhansiri.

The Reserve runs along the Indo-Bhutan international border, with contiguous wildlife habitats in Bhutan. The river Manas flows from the gorges of Bhutan and splits into tow major streams as it enters India,. The peace and tranquility of the site , Mahanguri is a gift of nature in its finest from.

While the core-zone, the Manas National Park, is a pristine wildlife habitat, the rest of the Reserve is a collection of eighteen Reserve forest intertwined with revenue villages. While traversing the Reserve from West to East one comes across sal forest, both virgin and degraded, moist-decidous forest, isalated patches of evergreen forest, riverine forest, grassland of both savannath and terai types, and miscellaneous forests.

Manas habitat provides an excellent abode to the tiger as well as to its prey species: Hog deer, Sambar, Swamp deer, Asiatic wild buffalo and Indian Bison. These species migrate freely across the international border.

Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Panna National Park

Panna is situated in the Vindhyan hill range and spreads over Panna and Chhtarpur districts in the northern part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (M.P.).

One of the most significant ecological aspects of the Reserve is that the district Panna makes the northern most boundary of natural distribution of teak and the eastern limits of teak-kardhai (Anogeissus pendula) mixed forests.

The Ken river, which flows through the Reserve form south to north, is the home for Long Snouted crocodile (gharial) and Marsh Crocodile (mugger) and other aquatic fauna. Ken is one of the sixteen perennial rivers of M.P. and is truly the life-line of the Reserve. It offers some of the most spectacular scenery while it meanders for about 55 km. through the Reserve.

The terrain of the Reserve is characterized by extensive plateaus and gorges. The topography in the Panna district part of the Reserve can broadly be divided into three distinct tablelands - the upper Talgaon Plateau, the middle Hinouta Plateau and the Ken valley. There are also a series of undulating hills and plateaus on the other side of Ken river in the Chhatarpur district.

The Reserve's most undisturbed habitat of about 70-80 sq. km. lies on the Hinouta plateau. This is due to relocation of three villages from this area in 1980s. Dry and short grass habitat with and chinkara. The areas with tall grasses associated with woodland, support good densities of sambar and chital. Mesic areas are distributed along the major seasonal streams and in the Ken river valley. Steep slopes of plateaus are driver and are dominated by Acacia catechu. Distribution of these habitats creates a heterogeneous landscape, where ecological conditions vary seasonally.

Panna Tiger Reserve is the most important protected area in the north-central highlands of India, as it links the eastern and western populations of wild animals through the NE-SW running Vindhyan ranges.

Best Time to Visit: January to May.