Best Places to Find Tigers in India, Part-2

In Part 1  you found eleven of the best places to find tigers in India. Here are some other known habitats of the national animal,

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

Established in 1989-90.

• State

Bihar

• Present Tiger population

7 to 13 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Valmiki Nagar (5 km)

• Nearest Airport

Patna (295 km)

• Best time to visit

October to June

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Leopard, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Chital, Sambar, Hog Deer, Black Buck, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Langur and Rhesus Monkey can be found here.

• Other places of interest nearby

Valmiki Ashram, where the great epic ‘Ramayana’ was written is located about 7 kms from Valmiki Nagar town. There are various temples very close to Valmiki Ashram. One can also see the 2000 year old famous lion pillar of Ashoka at Lauriya Nandan Garh and also Someshwar Fort.

Satpura Tiger Reserve

• State

Madhya Pradesh

• Present Tiger population

42 to 46 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Pipariya (42 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Bhopal (200 kms)

• Best time to visit

December to June

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Panthers, Gaurs, Black Buck, Chital, Chowsinga, Nilgai, Sloth Bear, Langurs, Rhesus Monkeys, Wild Dog, Wolf, Civet, Common Fox, Jackal, Jungle Cat, Wild Boars, Giant Squirrels and Flying Squirrels can be found here. This Forest also has a very good population of reptiles like Crocodiles, Cobra, Russel Viper, Chameleon and Common Indian Monitor. Avi-fauna such as Jungle Fowls, Quails, Partridges, Doves, Parakeets, Bee Eaters, King Fishers, Wood Peckers, Owls, Warblers, Myna, Munia, Bulbul, Paradise Fly catcher, Sparrows, Egrets, Vultures, Falcon and Eagle are also found here.

• Other places of interest nearby

The very famous hill station Pachmarhi, with its mesmerizing scenic beauty of sunsets and waterfalls is a place, is a must visit. Other attractions include Dhoopgarh, the highest point in the Satpura Range, Pandav Caves, Jata Shankar- a sacred cave and various shallow pools, such as the Apsara Vihar that are great picnic spots.

Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve

• State

Uttarakhand

• Present Tiger population

8 to 15 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Haridwar (8 km)

• Nearest Airport

Jolly Grant, Dehradun (33 kms)

• Best time to visit

December to March

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Leopard, Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Civets, Himalayan Yellow-Throated Marten, Sloth Bears Chital, hog deer, barking deer, Sambar deer, wild boar, Nilgai, Goral Asian Elephant, Rhesus Macaque, Hanuman Langur, Indian Hare and Indian Porcupine can be found here.

The park is a paradise for Birders and list of birds found here include Peacocks, White-naped Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Black-bellied Tern, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Black-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Scaly Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Tytler’s Leaf Warbler, Green Avadavat, Reed Bunting, the Great Pied Hornbill, Himalayan Pied Kingfisher and the Fire Tailed sunbird.

Rajaji also houses some of the largest Pythons, King Cobra, Common Krait, Indian Cobra and the Monitor Lizard.

• Other places of interest nearby

There are a lot of tourist and pilgrimage places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Laxman Jhula Bridge, Muni ki Reti (Sands of the sages) near the park. Hill stations Dehradun and Mussoorie are also worth a visit.

Bhadra Tiger Reserve

• State

Madhya Pradesh

• Present Tiger population

38 to 42 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Hassan (83 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Mangalore (190 kms)

• Best time to visit

March to July and September to October

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Chital, Sambar, Wild Boar, Muntjac and Bonnet are found here.

• Other places of interest nearby

Ancient temples like Mhakta Markandya temple of Khandya, and Bhavani Shankar temple of Hebbe.

Kaziranga Tiger Reserve

Created in 2006

• State

Assam

• Present Tiger population

81 to 131 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Furkating (75 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Jorhat (88 kms)

• Best time to visit

December on wards (after the grass burning for better wildlife visibility) till April.

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Kaziranga is famous for the great one horned Rhinos which are found there in large numbers. Other animals like Elephants, Wild Buffaloes, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Leopards, Sloth Bear, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal, Common Otter, Chinese Ferret Badger, Hog Badger, Jungle Cat, Rhesus Macaque and Wild Boar are also found. This National Park is home to a variety of Birds and also Reptiles like Snakes, Lizards, Turtles, Tortoises and Crocodiles.

• Other places of interest nearby

While at Kaziranga, one can visit the Hollongpar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary located at Jorhat, the home of Hoolock Gibbon, the only ape found in India. The ancient ruins at Bamuni Hills and Da Parbatai in the nearby town of Tezpur are also a popular tourist destination.

Panna Tiger Reserve

• State

Madhya Pradesh

• Present Tiger population

12, consisting of 5 adult tigers (4 females and 1 male) and 7 cubs based on recent news.

• Nearest Railhead

Satna (90 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Khajuraho (25 kms)

• Best time to visit

December to March

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Jungle Cat, Leopard, Hyena, Wild Dog, Wolf, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chowsinga, Porcupine, Jungle Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Hare, Ratel and Tree Shrew are found. Long snouted crocodile (The Gharial) and Marsh Crocodile (Mugger) are also found in the Ken River.

• Other places of interest nearby

There are a lot of interesting places that one can visit near Panna. These include the Khajuraho Temples, Pandav Falls, Raneh Falls, Panna Diamond Mines, Chaturmukha Mahadeo Temple, Ken Gharial Sanctuary and Benisagar and Ranguan Lakes.

Melghat Tiger Reserve

Established in 1974

• State

Maharashtra

• Present Tiger population

30 to 39 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Badnera (135 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Nagpur (275 kms)

• Best time to visit

February to May

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Leopard, Sloth bear, Wild dog, Jackal, Sambar, Gaur, Barking deer, Nilgai, Chital, Chowsinga, Ratel, Flying Squirrel, Wild boar, Langur, Rhesus monkey, Porcupine, Pangolin, Mouse deer, Python, Otter, Caracal, Black napped hare can be found here.

Over 250 bird species are found in Melghat. It is very famous for its Raptors.

• Other places of interest nearby

One can visit the historical forts of Gawilgarh, Narnala and Asirgarh while at Melghat. There is a waterfall in the reserve around three kilometers from Makhala village towards Jarida which is also worth a look. Besides this, there is a Nature interpretation Centre at Semadoh which has a museum, an amphitheatre and a canteen.

Periyar Tiger Reserve

Established in 1978-79

• State

Kerala

• Present Tiger population

36 to 40 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Kumarakom (114 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Madurai (143 kms)

• Best time to visit

October to May

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Major Fauna found here are the Elephant, Gaur, Sambar, Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Barking Deer, Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur and Nilgiri Tahr. This Park is home to almost 265 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 35 species of fishes and 160 species of butterflies.

• Other places of interest nearby

One can trek into the Thekaddy Forest and visit the ruins of the ancient Mangala Devi Temple. Boat cruises on the Periyar Lake are also an excellent way to view wildlife. Another note-worthy place to view are the Cardamom Hills of Periyar.

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Established in 2007.

• State

Tamil Nadu

• Present Tiger population

354 to 411 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Nanjangud (65 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Coimbatore (164 kms)

• Best time to visit

February to June

• Other wildlife that can be seen

The Asian elephant, Leopard, Gaur, Hyena, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Chital, Muntjac, Mouse Deer, Wild Boar, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Nilgiri Tahr, Porcupine, Giant Flying Squirrel, Bonner Macaque, Barking Deer, Four-horned Antelope, Otter and Langurs can be found here.

The Park is also home to about 200 species of birds. Crocodiles and Pythons are also found at Mudumalai.

• Other places of interest nearby

Other interesting places that one can see near Mudumalai are the Pykara Lake, Kalhatti Falls, Moyar Falls, Elephant feeding camp and the Ombetta Lake. The hill station Ooty is very close to Mudumalai.

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve

Created in 1973-74

• State

West Bengal

• Present Tiger population

64 to 90 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Canning (48 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Dum Dum, Kolkata (166 kms)

• Best time to visit

November to February

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Besides the Tiger one can find Fishing Cat, Chital, Wild Boar, River Terrapin, Olive Ridley Turtle, Gangetic Dolphin, Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle, King Crabs, Water Monitor and Estuarine Crocodiles here.

There are around 248 bird species in the Sunderban National Park.

• Other places of interest nearby

Bhagbatpur Crocodile Project which is a crocodile breeding farm can be visited. The Olive Ridley turtles at Kanak and Sajnekhali Bird sanctuary are also very popular with Sunderban visitors.

Dandeli-Anashi Tiger Reserve

Created in 2007

• State

Karnataka

• Present Tiger population

36 to 42 based on 2010-11 census.

• Nearest Railhead

Alnavar (35 kms)

• Nearest Airport

Belgaum (90 kms)

• Best time to visit

October to May

• Other wildlife that can be seen

Dandeli is the home of the extremely rare Black Panther. Sloth bears, Elephants, the barking deer, Chital, Mouse Deer, Gaur, Wild Dog, Civet Cat, Bison, Jackal, Mongoose, Porcupine, Langur and Giant Flying Squirrel are found in the forests of Dandeli. Bird species in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary are Magpie Robin, Golden Backed Woodpecker, Crested Serpent Eagle etc.

• Other places of interest nearby

Kavla caves made of limestone are an interesting watch. Trekking at Shiroli peak and white water rafting in the Kali River are for the adventurous ones.

Images Via cc/Flickr by Paul Mannix, Rakesh Dogra & Subharnab Majumdar