Description
Various biodiversity and different ecosystems ranging from the Himalayas in the north to the evergreen rain-forests in the south, the desert sands of the west to the marshy mangroves of the east, makes India home to a large variety of animals. India’s forest lands nurture about 500 species of mammals and 2000+ bird species. This richness of Indian wildlife has been celebrated since time immemorial.
India is also home to 4 Big cats – The Royal Bengal Tigers, Asiatic Lions, Spotted Leopards and Snow Leopards. Different national parks and tiger reserves spread across the country house the maximum population of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world.
Ranthambore National Park near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan is one of the most favorite national parks in India due to the high density of tigers living in their natural habitat. Conveniently located, on tourist route between Agra & Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park was former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is a major wildlife tourist attraction that has drawn the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers. Besides tigers, park is also the home to various other wild animals like Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Indian Wild Boar and many more.
Ranthambore National Park is divided in 10 eco-tourism zones ranging from Zone-1 to Zone-10. The probability of sighting a tiger is higher in Zine-1 to Zone-5. However, more or less similar number of tigers have been sighted in any zone.
Zone-1 to Zone-5 remain open from October to June while rest of the zones are open year round.
Safari with an exclusive Jeep Safari and a private naturalist is the best ways to enjoy tiger sighting and wildlife photography in Ranthambore National Park. Usually there are 02 game drives every day, one each in morning and evening. However for the wildlife enthusiasts, facility of hiring an exclusive Jeep safari for Half day or full day is also an option. It is always recommended to book the safari as much in advance as possible as forest department allow a limited number of jeeps in the park.