India has over 90 national parks providing the pleasure and privilege of viewing wild animals and birds in their natural habitat in the backdrop of the most amazing landscapes. All the national parks of the country together encompass a combined area of 38,029.18 sq kms approximately 1.16% of India's total land surface area. The highlight of India's national parks is the wide array of animals, avifauna, aquafauna and flora it holds. This is not surprising considering the fact that India has a coastline running 7,517 kms with a disparate topography including the Himalayas, Ghats, Thar Desert and Sundarbans and four distinct climates.
Below are some of the best national parks of the country:
Corbett National Park: India's first national park named after world renowned British hunter conservationist Jim Corbett and the first park where India's Project Tiger conservation initiative was introduced. It is located within the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. Teeming with life, there are 50 species of mammals, 25 reptile species, 580 bird species and 110 tree species thriving within its enclosure.
Ranthambore National Park: Located in the North Indian state of Rajasthan, the park is a success story of Project Tiger for the conservation of these mighty beasts.
Bandhavgarh National Park: This Park won fame for being the first place where the white Tigers of Rewa were sighted. It is located in some of the left out preserved wild areas of Madhya Pradesh.
Kaziranga National Park: Synonymous with its one-horned rhino, it is counted among the last two places where these prehistoric survivors live after its lesser cousin the Manas National Park.
Kanha National Park: Kanha is often compared to the wilds of the famous book “Jungle Book”. It is chiefly popular for tiger safaris.
Sundarbans National Park: This mangrove forest is the largest estuarine delta in the world. The mighty tiger roams the wild along with countless forms of colourful life.
Bandipur National Park: This is a potential new UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the state of Karnataka. It is a major tiger preservation area but also has a good population of leopards, elephants, sloth bears, wild boars and wild dogs.
Periyar National Park: Famous for its huge population of elephants, Periyar National Park is located high in the mountains of the Western Ghats in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is also a designated Tiger Reserve where an estimated 53 mighty beasts are found.
Sultanpur National Park: Located in the state of Haryara, Sultanpur was declared as a Bird sanctuary in 1972 after converting the marshy land into a water body and later in 1989 as a National Park. It is home to over 250 species of birds both resident and migratory.
