Wildlife in Rajasthan - Bandhavgarh National Park
Set amidst the Vindhyan Mountain range in Madhya Pradesh, the Bandhavgarh National Park is home to the famous White Tigers of Rewa. The prominent ones captured in the Park include the legendary White Tiger called Mohan, who supposedly fathered several offspring found in zoos the world over.
The park was a former hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa where once Maharajah Venkat Raman Singh made his illustrious career out of hunting 111 tigers. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968. The landscape is a unique mixture of steep and rocky hills, with flat tops and level grasslands in the valleys below. The vegetation found within the Park is moist deciduous forest with fine Sal trees and stretches of bamboo.
Today, Bandhavgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is known for having one of the densest populations of Tigers in the country. Prominent among other wild animals are Nilgai, Chital, Chinkara, Gaur, Sloth Bears and Wild Boar along with some 250 species of birds. It is one of the best places to witness the Tiger in action with the highest density of tiger population for any wildlife park in the country.
Chances are you will spot a striped predator while wandering through the park on elephant back. Other animals seen here are Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild boar and sometimes a fox or jackal.
Around 250 species of birds are also found in the park including migratory birds that arrive in winter such as the steppe eagle and various water birds. The terrace of the Bandhavgarh Fort provides a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the Park.
Other avian species found here include Peacock, Paradise fly catchers, Jungle Fowl, Golden and Black headed Orioles, Yellow Ioras, Red-vented Bulbuls, Blue Jays, Purple Sunbirds, Green Barbets and Mynahs.
Safari options in the park include Jeep Safari and Elephant Safari. Jeep safaris are undertaken during the early morning hours till evening. It is essential to take along a forest department guide on a Jeep safari, while on an elephant safari your guide will be the mahout or elephant driver. Elephant safari trips are organized for tiger tracking early in the morning. It is advisable to go on every possible safari, because a sighting is never guaranteed and no sighting is the same. The best time for a safari is the early morning hours, while you can also make good use of the afternoon. The tiger show is another major attraction which guarantees a sighting.
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