About 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers live in India. With more than 50 tiger reserves across the country, seeing a tiger is a dream many wildlife lovers come to fulfil here.
There are plenty of reserves where you can see these cats in the wild. Watching a tiger up close is a memorable moment for beginners and seasoned wildlife lovers alike: the piercing eyes, the easy walk, the prowling manner, the swishing tail. Here is a look at ten of the best places to see tigers in India.
Bandhavgarh National Park — With one of the highest tiger densities anywhere, Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh is one of the best places in India to see a tiger. Once home to the famous white tiger Mohan, it sits below the old Bandhavgarh Fort, in the rugged Vindhyan plateau and thick sal forest. Spotty, Dotty, Mahaman male, Bhim and Pannalal are some of its best-known tigers. Yes, wild tigers have names, given fondly by local guides and sometimes tourists.
Ranthambore National Park — One of the largest national parks in India, Ranthambore was home to Machli, one of the most famous tigresses in the world, and today has a healthy tiger population. The tigers are at ease among the fort and ruins, which makes for some of the best tiger-watching anywhere. Krishna, Arrowhead, Fateh, Noor and Kumbha are among the well-known names.
Kanha National Park — With pugmarks often on the ground and roars heard regularly, Kanha is home to the famous tiger Munna, who has a “cat”-shaped marking on his forehead. A healthy tiger population and accessible waterholes make for rewarding sightings.
Corbett National Park — In the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park is often called an elephant park, but it also has a healthy tiger population, which makes it a fine destination for tiger-watchers. Paarwali, Sharmili and the Choohapani female are among the most-seen tigresses.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve — Tadoba, in Maharashtra, is a fine place to see tigers, especially in summer. Tadoba Lake and other waterholes, such as Panchadhara and Pandharpauni, draw the thirsty cats on hot days. A small aside: locals like to name the tigresses after Bollywood actresses such as Madhuri and Sonam, while the males get playful names like Matkasur and Yeda-anna.
Pench National Park — The land of Mowgli and The Jungle Book, Pench has around 50 tigers, so sightings are relatively easy. On the southern edge of the Satpura hills, with the Pench River running through it, it is a fine tiger destination. The famous tigress Collarwali, known by her collar, was one of the many that made Pench worth a visit.
Satpura National Park — In Madhya Pradesh, Satpura is one of the few parks where you can walk inside on foot. Its cover suits tigers well, and in summer they are often seen at waterholes and swimming in the Sonbhadra River. That said, Satpura is better known for its leopard and sloth bear sightings.
Bandipur National Park — One of the more accessible parks, Bandipur is only about 80 km from Mysore. Set in the forests of the Western Ghats, it has a good tiger count and is a rich biodiversity area, and being a weekend trip from Bangalore and Mysore, it is an easy destination for tiger-watching.
Sariska Tiger Reserve — Once emptied of tigers by poaching, Sariska is now a conservation success story, with more than 12 wild tigers in this reserve in the Aravalli range. The landscape is much like Ranthambore, but with far fewer crowds.
Sundarban National Park — The tigers of the Sundarbans have adapted to a salt-water, marshy world, which makes seeing one here special. In the delta of West Bengal, the Sundarban Tiger Reserve is a mangrove forest, and tracking a tiger here is perhaps the hardest on this list: unlike the other nine, the only way to look for wildlife is by boat, as the terrain rules out jeep safaris. But the thrill of seeing a mangrove tiger is hard to describe.
The list could go on, with other important tiger parks such as Nagarhole National Park, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The Royal Bengal tiger is the most widespread tiger in Asia, especially in India, where it is the national animal. Over the past decade, India’s reserves have stepped up conservation to keep tiger numbers from falling further, and the effort has paid off, with many reserves now holding healthy populations, which makes them fine places for tiger-watchers and wildlife lovers.
