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India wildlife travel guide

We hope that this India wildlife holidays guide has a few surprises in it for you. So well known for tigers already, India is bursting with wild beauties. North, South, East and West. There is also a fascinating history attached to wildlife tourism in India, so we guide you through some of its ups and downs, as well as some of its underrated and overrated wildlife experiences. Read more below for more details.

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India wildlife travel guide

William Blake’s famous poem The Tiger describes not only the beauty of the tiger but also the energy and power behind the creation. However, sometimes you almost need to dim the tiger, tiger, burning bright so that you can see the rest of India’s flourishing fauna as well as the spectacular landscapes they call home. Such as the snow leopard in the mountains of Ladakh. The herds of Indian bison that stroll masterfully along the banks of the Pench River in the eponymous national park. The Sunderbans massive mangrove forests that hide magnificent masters of the jungle. Or Kerala, with birdlife that burns ever so brightly in all its beauty. But the one to truly grab that limelight from the tiger is the Asiatic lion, only to be found in Gujarat’s stunning Gir NP.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

– Mahatma Ghandi

There is no shortage of wild energy all over India. Read our India wildlife guide for more enlightenment.

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Underrated

Snow leopards

If you head to the magnificent mountains of Hemis National Park in Ladakh with expert local guides, you can track and hopefully catch sight of the elusive and exquisite snow leopard, descending from white peaks in search of food. Feb/March is best time to explore these stunning landscapes where, even if you aren’t lucky enough to see the leopard, you can trek through habitat for ibex, wolf, blue sheep and lynx.

Gujarat

Gujarat state is still very unknown in tourism despite its fusion of desert and coast and two natural nirvanas: Velavadar National Park, famous for its population of blackbuck and Gir National Park, home to the Asiatic lion. Night safaris are popular in both parks for spotting wolves and jackals. And the Little Rann of Kutch saline desert is home to wild asses, chinkara, desert fox, striped hyenas and over 300 bird species.

Sundarbans

Shared between India and Bangladesh, the Sundarbans, just 2.5hrs’ drive from Kolkata, is the largest mangrove forest in the world and one where you can be lucky enough to see tigers from the water. With 500 of them living in tangled web of roots and branches, there is also a plethora of primates, crocodiles, Gangetic and Irrawaddy dolphins. Birdwatchers will go overboard too. Although best not to.

Bird watching

The peacock is the national bird of India – and few people realise there are ornithological odysseys to be had in India. Ranthambore’s jungles are home to 250+ species including parakeets, hornbills, shrikes and sand grouse, with Keoladeo Ghana National Park and the National Chambal Sanctuary both wetland wonderlands. The Western Ghat Mountains boast 24 endemics and the Sunderbans has six species of kingfisher.

Rated

Ranthambore

It’s India’s most famous national park, and definitely worth the trip to Rajasthan to see it. It does get crowded though, so time your trip carefully avoiding public holidays if possible. Ranthambore is a magnificent mélange of tropical forest and ruined temples and home to sloth bears, nilgai, sambar, jungle cats and crocodiles. As well as the most beauteous one of all: the elusive Bengal tiger.

Tiger watching

They are elusive but they are also, for many, the most exquisite animal to witness the wild. With only around 3,000 left in the world, the majority are in India’s protected national parks, such as Ranthambore, Kanha or Tadoba. Travel with responsible experts who bring naturalists with them on their tours. And be prepared for an emotional reaction. Seeing a tiger is like being transported to a childhood dream.

Kerala

Known for beaches and backwaters, Kerala’s Ghat Mountain range also proffers perfect habitat for elephants, gaur (wild bison) sloth bear, monkeys, antelope, leopard and the stunning sambar deer. Conservation gems include the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, and Periyar which is famous for its tiger reserve. For birds, Kerala is the biz, with the Ghat Mountains boasting 24 endemics.

Central India

So many people overlook the wildlife wonders of Central India. These include Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra state and Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh, both home to tigers and much more, with gorgeous glamping available at the latter, and expert naturalist guides on hand. It is also a great region to really explore tranquil, rural life, trekking through and visiting Baiga and Gond tribal villages.

Overrated

Getting up close

India has managed to gain a bit of a bad reputation in some of the busiest national parks for overcrowding and noisy visitors disturbing the wildlife as people are driven into a frenzy of photo ops, tipping drivers to get closer or attracting the animals with food. Ensure you travel with responsible tour operators who know how to escape the crowds and ensure responsible wildlife watching practices are adhered to.

Elephant rides

We are not fans of elephant riding, due to the threat it poses to the last few remaining wild elephants, as well as the brutal training methods; see more in our Elephants in tourism guide. Although elephant rides are sometimes used for conservation efforts we have decided not to promote elephant safaris in national parks. While elephant safaris have both pros and cons, we feel that on balance, this is not an activity that is necessary or ethical.

Tiger mania

Everyone wants to see into the eye of the tiger, but remember, there are only 3000 of them in the wild, worldwide. They are special because they are not only elusive but also endangered. But there are so many other animals to see in India too. Lions, tigers and bears are not just in storybooks. Not forgetting leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, monkeys and a bevy of beautiful birdlife.

Ignoring local people

One of the biggest mistakes of people going wild for animals on holiday is that they forget the importance of local communities who also call these habitats home. Often forced to poach and hunt in order to survive, by staying with local people, supporting local conservation initiatives and eating locally, we can show them that our love of living animals can also create a decent, sustainable living for them and their families.

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History of wildlife holidays in India

“When Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in 1897, there were 10,000 wild tigers on the Indian subcontinent. Today there are just over 3000 worldwide and the majority are in India”

It is not surprising that the national animal of India is the Bengal tiger, although, tragically, they are still very thin on the ground. The tiger is both revered and feared, and feels almost like Indian royalty. And yet, ironically, it is the rich and regal, be they Mughals, Maharajas or British colonists, who were responsible for wiping out vast numbers of tigers and other wildlife as hunting became the favourite pastime of the privileged few. Indeed, the now famous Ranthambore National Park was once the Maharajas of Jaipur’s royal hunting ground. In the 1800s there was also a trend for foreign zoos buying live animals from Maharajas, such as rhinos and elephants. Read more

The movement to start saving these precious creatures began wholeheartedly in the early 1970s when India’s Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger were put in place. After this date many national parks were created in India protecting precious habitats, tigers, and hundreds of other species. There were only five national parks in 1970; today there are over 120. This was thanks to the Prime Minister of the time, Indira Gandhi, who not only banned tiger killing and the exporting of animal skins in 1969, but also created the Tiger Task Force. At this time it had been predicted that there would be no more tigers by the end of the century.

From hunting to honouring
The tradition of royal hunting, also known as shikar, began in the 16th century, when the Mughal Emperor discovered the ‘highs’ or ‘heroics’ of hunting. This opened up an elitist pastime that continued until the dynasty died in 1857. The British Raj took over this bloody baton as did the Maharajas who ruled the various ‘Princely States’. And a princely price was paid too in terms of animal loss. It is believed that over 80,000 tigers were killed from 1875-1925. Famous stories of these times include one about British King George V and his followers killing 39 tigers in 10 days. Or a Maharajah converting a red Rolls Royce with all the right guns on board to take him into Rajasthan’s tiger terrain and claim his trophies. Meanwhile, the elitist fashion of wearing animal furs created an unprecedented demand.

One person to wake up to the destruction being caused was Jim Corbett (1875-1955), a Colonel in the British Indian Army who was given the task of killing tigers that were notorious for being ‘man eaters’. He always claimed to only kill tigers for this reason, and not for trophies. However, over the years, he turned his skills of shooting tigers in the flesh to shooting them, and many other species, on film, including early cine film. He lectured children in local communities about protecting India’s wildlife, he founded the All-India Conference for the Preservation of Wildlife and he played a major role in founding the country’s first national park, first named Hailey National Park and renamed Corbett in his memory in 1957.

Project Tiger
As well as the national parks, there are over 500 wildlife sanctuaries in India, which include tiger reserves managed by Project Tiger. These have been created with an aim to protect habitats and prevent poaching with the help of the Tiger Protection Force as well as to encourage migration of tigers from one to another. Today, Project Tiger is managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the good news is that finally, after decades of decline in tiger populations, the numbers are on the up. Government research released in 2015 showed that 2,226 tigers had been counted in the wild; an increase of 30 percent since 2010.