For Wildlife Buffs
When tourists think India they invariably think Rajasthan, Agra and Delhi. Post arrival India, nearly everyone stays at a hotel in Delhi to explore this wonderful city. From Delhi it’s a short journey to Jaipur, Rajasthan from where everyone takes off for irresistible Rajasthan excursions.
Rajasthan is home to plentiful wildlife ranging from tigers and leopards to local curiosities such as the nilgai (blue bull) and four-horned chowsingha (swamp deer) and an unusually rich selection of birdlife. There are Travel Help Desk services available in most hotels in Delhi that organize excellent wildlife excursions into Rajasthan.
The state’s numerous nature reserves were first established as hunting grounds by former rulers. Hotel accommodation is never a problem as most hotels here, of all classes, are at par with hotels in Delhi.
Ranthambore is the world’s foremost tiger-spotting destination where tigers can still be glimpsed in the wild. At the beginning of the last century, up to one hundred thousand tigers roamed the land even though tiger hunting was a favorite ‘sport’ of maharajas and trigger-happy British. Following the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, Project Tiger was inaugurated.
Leopards are spotted in Ranthambore. Rajasthan also has the fishing cat, the miniature leopard cat, the jungle cat, and the caracal.
Deer and antelope are abundant. The sambar deer bears antlers upto120 cm long. Others are chital (spotted deer), muntjac (barking deer) and hog deer.
Antelopes include the endangered blackbuck, or “Indian antelope”, the nilgai or bluebull, and the unique four horned chowsingha (swamp deer).
The most common monkeys are the Rhesus macaque and the langur. Other mammals include the shaggy sloth bear, the striped hyena, the jackal, small Indian fox, Indian wolf, wild buffalo, pangolin, three-striped palm squirrel and mongoose.There are 238 species of snake. Crocodiles and gharial can be seen in Sariska.
While at your hotel in Delhi, you can quickly read up on India wildlife on the net or in guidebooks. There is tons to chose from.
The Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur is Asia’s celebrated avian wonderland. Dedicated ornithologists flock here in droves. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its 29 sq km, extensive swamps and lake has a staggering number of birds packed into it – some 375 species including 200 year round residents, 150 migratory species from as far as Tibet, China, Siberia and even Europe, who fly south to escape the northern winter.
Aquatic birds descend en masse during monsoons in July. These include the majestic saras crane and a staggering two thousand painted storks, as well as snake-necked darters, spoonbills, pink flamingos, white ibis and grey pelicans.
There are thirty species of birds of prey like vultures, marsh harriers, peregrine falcons and ospreys numerous dazzling kingfishers etc. Also mammals like the wild boar, mongoose, chital, nilgai and sambar, hyenas, jackals and otters, and even elusive jungle cats.
Make sure to book a hotel in Delhi in advance – it will be very convenient to use the Travel Help Desk of your hotel in Delhi for all your wildlife excursions.
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