National parks in India

India has more than 100 national parks. Antelopes, deer, deer, monkeys, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceros and of course Bengal tigers are fighting in peace. Do not expect, however, the astonishing spectacle of African parks with innumerable herds. High demography, slash-and-burn, extensive hunting ... the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw wildlife drastically decreasing.

Modern India, conscious of the value of this fauna, has taken good measures to preserve it. Here is the list of what we consider to be the best Indian national parks:

Corbett (Uttarakhand): the oldest, founded in 1936. Located halfway between Delhi and the Himalayas of the Garwhal, It is a seven hour drive from Delhi.

Ranthambore (Rajasthan): the most accessible from Delhi. Beautiful scenery and varied wildlife along with regular spotting of the tiger.

Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh): renowned for its high concentration of tigers. 8 hours’ drive south of Varanasi (Benares). Complicated access, but the visit to this park is worth.

Kanha (Madhya Pradesh): landscapes immortalized by Rudyard Kipling in "The Book of the Jungle"

Kaziranga (Assam): on the banks of the Brahmaputra. Important contingent of rhinoceros uni-corne

When to visit Indian parks

Ideal period could vary from park to park as they are situated in different geographic location. However from March to May (dry season) could be considered an ideal period as the animals concentrate around the few sources of water. The grasses, less tall, do not hide then thus offering the beautiful views.

The Royal Tiger of Bengal

In 1900: 40,000 to 50,000 Indian tigers lived across India. Today it is only 2000, the number is still decreasing and it is on the long red list of species threatened with extinction. Its manners make it difficult to observe: a nocturnal animal and solitary par excellence, each male individual covers a territory of at least 100 km2. He does not like sharing his domain with other animals. To discourage intruders, all tigers mark their territory by urinating very strong secretions that signal their presence. Map of distribution of Indian Parks:

Source : http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/wildlife/nationalpark-india.htm