Tiger Conservation: The Tiger's New Home Series

National Parks: The Tiger's Safe House
There are more than 80 national parks in India of which some have been declared as tiger reserves under the Project Tiger scheme. Needless to say, these 3 i believe have displayed great conservation efforts as far as tigers are concerned.

Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur
It is said that when you see a photograph of a tiger in India, then it was most likely taken in Ranthambore National Park! Clearly a favorite of wildlife photographers! Its fame speaks for itself. It is one of India's largest national parks at 1334 square kilometers. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, became a tiger reserve under the Project Tiger in 1973 and was made a national park in 1980. It was among the first nine tiger reserves under the Project Tiger. It was once known as hunting grounds for the Maharajas of Jaipur, a state in India. The park gained celebrity status during the 1960s when Queen Elizabeth II visited and Prince Philip shot a tiger there! Of course this was way back before the park gained protective status in 1973.

It is now one of the best tiger reserves in India, and the most filmed one too! According to non-government sources, in 2008, there were 34 adult tigers and 14 cubs recorded in the park. Like any other park, it is plagued by poaching due to increasing demand for tiger parts in India. There are also several human-tiger conflicts every year as the people live around the reserve herding livestock. Need i say more!

Its most interesting features is that its decorated with ancient ruins including a fort where tigers and leopards are often spotted. It is said to be among the best places in India to spot tigers in their habitat! Tiger Safaris are most popular in this park as it is most known for its diurnal tigers. This means they sleep during the day and hunt at night but also hunt during the day and sleep at night too...Cool,right?

The park is home to other wild animals such as the leopard, jungle cats, sloth bears. hyenas, foxes, jackals and crocodiles. It is also known for its thriving bird species with more than 270 species!

Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
This park is known to have many firsts! It is first and foremost, the oldest park in India, established in 1936. It was also the first national park in the whole of Asia! It was the first tiger reserve to be launched by the Project Tiger where this event took place in 1973. It was also first named Hailey National Park in 1936 before being changed to Jim Corbett National Park.

This park is named after Jim Corbett, a naturalist-writer and hunter-turned-conservationist who led man-eater hunting expeditions back in the day. He played a key role in its establishment as a protector of the Bengal tiger. He wrote many writings on his hunting adventures. The park is one of India's most beautiful wildlife areas with a tiger population of around 160! The park is said to be an area with the richest bird region and a favorite of bird enthusiasts with about 600 species sighted and over 488 species of plants with a diverse variety of fauna! A 'healthy' park, isn't it?

In addition to tigers and birds, one is likely to spot leopards, jungle cats, fishing cats, sloth bears, jackals, Bharal, goral, Himalayan tahr, serow, chital, sambal and barking deer. The park is usually known as 'elephant park' where a large number is spotted in Ramganga River, one of the best places to spot them. Tourism activity is only allowed in selected areas of the Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its landscape and wildlife. Apart from wildlife, the park is located at a bio geographic confluence situated at the junction of two hill regions hence representing a synthesis of cultures of these mountain areas. In recent years, more than 70,000 visitors have frequented the park every season. Tells a lot about this park, right?

Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Famously known as 'Tiger Land', Kanha National Park is situated in a horse-shoe shaped valley in Central India of Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the clay-like soil, Kanhar found in this area. Besides the tiger, Kanha has the largest variety of fauna in the country that includes 22 species of mammals. It is said to be an excellent park for wildlife and photography. The park came into being in 1955 where strict conservation measures for protection of the park's flora and fauna has given Kanha a deserved reputation for being the finest administered national park in all of Asia! It is in fact the biggest national park in Madhya Pradesh and the largest in Central India. Awesome,ha?

The major feature of the park might be its interesting topography but its major draw still remains its Royal Bengal tigers. Actually, Kanha is said to have the most sightings of tigers in all of India! Other species that can be spotted include: Indian hare, wild dog, stripped palm squirrel, common langur, jackal, wild pg, spotless deer, black buck, Sambar, Barasingha, leopard, stripped hyenas and others. In fact, the reintroduction of the rare swamp deer, Barasigha also known as the 'Jewel of Kanha' into the park, gave it worldwide recognition since it is its largest preservation. This park also gained popularity when the famous Rudyard Kipling, who wrote the book, "The Jungle Book" used the park's location and several of its settings in his story. The park also boasts a large avian population of about 200 species.

These 3 national parks serve as an example as to the benefits of conserving wildlife. They are working to make the world a better place for wildlife, what are you doing? Food for thought.