Wildlife in India

Indian wildlife is rich and fascinating. There are about 80 national parks, more than 400 wildlife sanctuaries and 14 biosphere reserves. Diverse geographical conditions and varied topography of India supports wide variety of mammals, birds and reptiles. India with its unique and rich wildlife is sure to mesmerize the wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. Main attraction of Indian wildlife is of course the tiger. More than fifty percent of the total population of wild tigers in world are found in India. There are 24 tiger reserves established by Indian Government to protect the tigers.

Richness and variety of vegetation makes India paradise for nature and wildlife lovers. Wildlife of India is second only to the whole of the African continent. Indian wildlife has its unique charm and variety. Indian wildlife is not only about tigers. India is home to more than 80% population of one horned rhinos, 50% of Asian elephants and the only home of Asiatic Lions. There are so many animal species which are not found elsewhere which draws millions of tourists every year to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India.

Wildlife parks of India are the perfect example of the ecosystem. These parks play vital role in nature and eco tourism in India. Some of the must visit destinations for the nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts are Valley of Flowers, Jim Corbett National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Periyar National Park, Gir National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Dudhwa National Park and Desert National Park. For bird lovers and ornithologists, India has good number of bird sanctuaries which attract many migratory birds from as far as Siberia, China and Himalayas.

Some of the popular bird parks of India are Bharatpur bird sanctuary, Chilika bird sanctuary and Kumarakom bird sanctuary. Although, all the parks provide shelter to large number of species, they are known for some specific wild species. Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore and Corbett national parks are famous tiger reserves of India. Kaziranga and Manas national parks in Assam are known for their one horned rhino population. Similarly, Gir national park in Gujarat is the only home of Asiatic Lions and Periyar national park in Kerala have the maximum number of wild Asian Elephants.

Wildlife tourism helps in conserving the wildlife of India in more than one way. Money generated from the tourism is used in the wildlife conservation projects. These conservation projects run by the Indian government has shown great results and has helped in increasing the population of the endangered species such as tigers, one horned rhinoceros, asiatic lions, elephants and snow leopards.

Wildlife in India
Complete information about Wildlife Tourism in India.