Healing by Doctor

¤ Diagnosing Your Doctor


Voltaire, the French writer and philosopher, once remarked:
"Who are the greatest deceivers ?The doctors. and the greatest fools ? The patients."

Patients may take the remark with a pinch, but in this technology driven age, it is a demanding job to decide upon a suitable doctor for one’s ailment. Precise standards of excellence are difficult to establish in a profession which is half science and half art.

Compare your choice of buying a stereo system with choosing a doctor. Buying the music system is a shopping process where you begin with a discussion among friends and family, visit the showrooms, talk to specialists and compare models before buying one. It is an equally complicated process of choosing a doctor or is it just a matter of appointment and then walking in straight. In fact, there is a crisis in doctor-patient relationship, and doctor shopping is one symptom of the problem.

You realise your foolishness when you walk out of the doctor’s clinic. You feel depressed and dissatisfied, unhappy and still unwell ? Did the consultation make you sick when it was intended to make your feel better. Goethe was not far from the truth when he said, "It is so hard that one cannot really have confidence in doctors and yet cannot do without them."

Gone are the days when doctors carried that capacious black bag, had the time to talk to his patients and the relationship used to be partnership cemented in trust, its primacy unquestioned. We trusted our doctors who cured us for almost everything. Till recently, doctors perceived to practice in a manner that maximised the comfort, confidence and understanding of their patient.


¤ The Changed Craft of Doctoring

Today, the craft of doctoring has acquired a different dimension. Innovative technologies and medications have widened our choice. This explosion of resources has reduced the doctors to respond by ordering more sophisticated tests and quoting results of patients’ verbatim.

The traditional talking and listening to the doctor has become outdated. Most doctors fail to realise that spending time with the patient and communicating regularly confers beneficial effects. Father of medicine had summed it up as; "Some patients, though conscious that their condition is perilous, recover their health simply through their contentment with the goodness of the physician."


¤ Medical Studies Proves

In fact, medical training should lead to the conviction that the primary goal for every doctor is to achieve an improved outcome for patients: that diagnostic and scientific investigations are secondary to the well being of the patient.

The medical profession has come to view the patients as a complex of symptoms and not as a whole people, who can be given an active role in the management of their own care.

On the other hand, most patients fail to view doctors as fellow human beings who are not gods. Think of Alexander III, the king of Macedon, who said he was dying with the help of many physicians. Occasionally, we hear about doctors operating upon the wrong eye or leaving scissors in the stomach. Visiting a doctor does not guarantee a cure. Looking back at history we find that they suffered a definite down in bygone days.


¤ The Ancient Rules Set For The Doctors

Chinese emperors paid their doctors only when they were well. As soon as they became ill, the salary was cut off until they returned to normal. Visgoth Code did not set a surgeon’s fee, but it did rule that if the patient died all fees stood cancelled, and if the death was the result of blood letting the doctor was to be delivered to the bereaved family for better treatment. The 12th century legal code of Sicily expected doctors to treat poor patients free, visit them twice during day and night, if required by the patient.


¤ Today's Need

Today things are different and times have changed. Today patients should try to know more about the specifics of medicine and diagnostic tests. Perhaps this may re-establish the doctor patient relationship. Patients should also limit their medical visits to that which is necessary, in case you don’t get well with your doctor, change to a physician who has a special interest in your problem or seek a specialist if you find that your fears have not yet been allayed.


¤ Doctor's With Diverse Attitudes

Doctors too, come in various forms. If you are lucky you can land in a clinic where the doctor is jolly and equally optimistic to meet you. A bad luck may bring you to a doctor who hardly smiles and answers your questions, is rather prompt in handing over the prescription to you before you complete your talk. But though warmth and caring attitude are important, a friendly doctor isn’t necessarily as bright as his smile. Likewise, a doctor may be lousy at chitchat but a brilliant diagnosticism.

In this day and age, it is a demanding task to decide upon a doctor whose name plate is replete with medical abbreviations, you may not understand to the fullest. Well trained doctors can end up giving second rate care if they don’t keep up-and keeping up is hard to do. It means reading journals, attending conferences and continuing-education courses, and interaction with peers in journal clubs, meetings, hospitals and medical society communities, often after long days at the office or hospital.

Begin with a check up of doctor’s credentials. However, it is not easy to obtain access to complete, up-to-date and verified information about physicians is all but possible. You may ask personally or begin with the medical directory. Is the doctor practicing alone or in a group ? Many feel that group is better as each case is considered by more medical minds but others prefer solo practitioners on the plea that too many cooks spoil the broth.


¤ To Choose A Skilled Doctor

Teaching and speciality hospitals tend to have doctors who are most up-to-date. These institutions have a large support team of medical technologies and the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. These physicians are the most likely to be highly respected by other doctors and to have cutting edge medical knowledge. Moreover, they treat numerous patients and certainly practice makes a man perfect. In case of a surgeon, consider the number of operations he performs and thus his skills and practice.

If you seek opinion from current or former patients about a physician’s acumen, the feedback you get will likely be based on sample size of one. Other doctors may also be subjective since they themselves may receive referrals for recommending each other. The most unbiased sources may be local hospital nurses. They hardly gain anything for recommending a particular doctor. They can surely tell you who’s good, who’s sloppy, who’s not up to date, etc.

Don’t expect too much from your judgment. Medicine, after all, is half science and half art, a certain amount of it has to be taken on faith and doctors are there to put your mind at rest.

Bandhavgarh , Dudhwa , saniska,
Kaziranga , Gir , Renuka,
Rathambhore , Kanha , Nagarhole ,
Sunderbans , Keoladeo , Bandipur,
Corbett , Manas , Periyar

Bandhavgarh National Park

This National Park is small compared to others, but its importance lies in the fact that it has a high game density. When originally notified as a protected area in 1968, the Park was only 105sq km in size. But in 1986, this area was extended to include large areas of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the northern and southern ends of the Park. Today, the Park covers an area of about 448sq km and is home to a wide variety of animals, including carnivores, primates, ungulates, reptiles and birds.


¤ The Elusive White Tiger

The forests of Bandhavgarh are the white tiger jungles of the yesteryears. However, no white tigers have been reported from the wild in the last 50 years, and it is believed that less than a dozen have been seen in India in about a hundred years. and yet when white tigers were sighted, it was right here in Bandhavgarh.

Documents in the Rewa Palace record as many as 8 occasions on which white tigers had been sighted in and around Bandhavgarh during the first half of the 20^th century. In 1951, Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa captured an orphaned white tiger cub from the Bagri forest in Bandhavgarh (see Rewa & Land under Madhya Pradesh). The Maharaja domesticated this male white tiger and named him Mohan. The Maharaja was also able to successfully breed white tigers in Rewa and export the cubs to distant countries. As a result, all white tigers in captivity today are Mohan’s descendants. The species has thrived in captivity, with a number of specimens related to Mohan finding homes in zoos and circuses all over the world. Mohan was the last white tiger in the wild, and no white tiger has been reported ever since.

Before scientists undertook research projects on the white tiger, it was widely believed that the animals were albinos. However, it was discovered that the white tiger did not have pink eyes as albinos do. Instead, these tigers had black stripes and blue eyes, a result of genetic aberration that occurs due to mutant recessive genes in both parents.


¤ Maharajas of Rewa Claimed Bandhavgarh As Their Private Game Reserve

Reserve as a private property worked in favour, as well as against the interest of the wildlife in the area. While the forests were well protected and hunting rights remained in the hands of a selected few, the white tiger was still not safe from human agression.

Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh shot 111 tigers by 1914, a figure that was slightly above the auspicious number of 109 tigers that the Maharajas had intended to shoot. The figure of 109 might have been considered a good omen for kings, but for tigers it only heralded death and extinction. Had Project Tiger not been launched in 1972 with the aim of protecting the tiger and its habitat, the tiger may well have become a thing of the past. The killing of tigers in Bandhavgarh stopped in 1968 when the area was declared a National Park.


¤ Flora

Sal (Shorea robusta) trees dominate almost half the forest of Bandhavgarh. The sal tree is an important component of the deciduous forests of North and Central India. Sal forests were found throughout the northern parts of the Deccan, extending from Madhya Pradesh to Orissa in one continuous stretch. These magnificent forests have uniform and thick growths of tall and straight sal trees that have rounded leaves. The sal also provides precious timber and yields a resin that is used as incense. Over the years, legal and illegal logging has wiped out large parts of these forests, and it is only in places like Bandhavgarh that sal forests are still protected. On Bandhavgarh’s upper slopes, a mixed forest replaces the sal forest, while in the north are large stretches of bamboo and grasslands. The undergrowth in Bandhavgarh is not very dense.


¤ Wildlife Population

Mammals & Reptiles
The Forest Department has recorded at least 22 species of mammals and about 250 species of birds in the Park. Parts of the forest that were cleared for cultivation have now turned into grasslands where the chinkara (Indian gazelle), nilgai (blue bull) and (four-horned antelope) can be sighted. Groups of wild boar can also be seen moving around, digging their snouts into the ground. Occasionally, carnivores like jackals and foxes follow their prey into the forest. The sambar (Indian stag) and the muntjac (barking deer) inhabit the denser parts of the forest along with herds of chital (spotted deer). Gaur (Indian bison) herds can be seen in the Park only during the months of March and April when they move down from the higher hills to the meadows to graze.

A small population of blackbuck also exists around the fort area. The blackbuck population was reintroduced to the Park and is protected from predators by the old masonry walls of the fort. A number of smaller animals such as the ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, or predators like the jungle cat, hyena and jackal, can also be seen during a drive through the Park. Reptiles including cobras, kraits, vipers, ratsnakes, pythons, lizards and turtles are more elusive.

A lot of action that takes place in Bandhavgarh is up on the trees, as two primate species, the rhesus macaque and the Hanuman langur inhabit the Park. These monkeys are easily visible and fun to watch. Large langur troops can be seen frolicking and feeding on trees. The langur feeds on leaves, some of which are so poisonous that even the most seasoned insects avoid them. Chital herds are often seen close to langurs, and both share a very special relationship. Perched on treetops and equipped with keen eyesight, the langur is a vital part of the alarm system that warns against approaching predators like the tiger and leopard. It is believed that for the most part, langur and chital alarm calls mean the presence of a predator in the area.

Kaziranga National Park

¤ The Magic of The Wild

Mornings in the Kaziranga National Park in the northeastern state of Assam are generally misty. So much so that the main gate of the Park is called kohra, or mist. As the sun rises slowly above the horizon, the area metamorphoses into a spectacular sight.
The tall, dense, lush green elephant grass wrapped in the haze makes the first impact on the visitor. As the sun slices through the mist, shallow swamps interspersed with large patches of semi evergreen forests emerge gradually. Not far from the place, India’s most notorious river Brahmaputra flows effortlessly, unmindful of the havoc it is capable of wreaking during the monsoon.


¤ Wildlife Attractions In The Wild

Morning is the time of high animal activity in Kaziranga. A flock of Rosy Pelicans glides across a water body in search of a suitable place to hunt. A couple of otters lift their heads curiously to scan the jungle. Suddenly, a small herd of hog deer disappears to a shrill alarm call. There is certainly a predator on the move. Any casual movement in the elephant grass could mean a tiger, a rhino or even a wild buffalo.

This is Kaziranga National Park, where more than half of the world’s population of one-horned rhinoceros can be found. The Park boasts of the highest density of tiger population (nearly seventeen animals in every hundred square kilometers).

Kaziranga can also be called the National Park of Giants. Name any Indian species that is large in size and you are likely to find it here. Elephants, rhinos, wild buffaloes, gaurs, tigers, swamp deer, sambar deer; Kaziranga has it all. While we are still on Kaziranga, the hoolock gibbon deserves a special mention. This tailless ape is found in the hill forests of Assam.

Kaziranga also has a commendable population of birds. One can find huge flocks of pelicans, rose-ringed parakeets apart from crested serpent eagles, grey-headed fishing eagles, red jungle fowl, Bengal floricabs, bar-headed geese, whistling teals and swamp partridges. The commonly found storks are black-necked, adjutant and open-billed. Egrets and herons of almost all types can be spotted sitting on the peripheries of water bodies fed by the Brahmaputra.

Unfortunately, the river that pumps life into Kaziranga also snatches it away sometime. Every year during the monsoon, the entire area is submerged in the floodwaters of the Brahmaputra. Ironically, the river whose literal meaning in Hindi is ‘the son of Lord Brahma - the Preserver of the Universe’, swallows around a thousand hog deer and many other wildlife species during the floods. At this time, all the wildlife is forced to take shelter on island like places including the watchtowers, made for forest guards, that can survives the ravages of the floods. These towers are infested with snakes during these months. But what is even more amazing is that these snakes and guards live together in harmony, respecting each others right to live.


¤ Poaching On An Increasing Rate

Each tower has a small sanctum sanctorum dedicated to Devi Durga, who is believed to be the saviour of the jungle. Everyday, before going out on patrol, the guards invoke the Devi to help them guard the jungle from poachers who, unfortunately, are equipped with better firearms. The rate of poaching and deforestation in the northeastern states of India is much higher than in other parts of the country. Each year, a number of forest-guards in Kaziranga National Park in India lose their lives in unending battles with poachers.

The main reason for these conflicts in Kaziranga National Park in India is the rhino. There are more than 1200 rhinos in the Park. It is believed that the rhino-horn (actually a massive overgrowth of hair) has unique medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. A rhino-horn can fetch as much as 5,000 U.S. Dollars in the international market. It is in great demand with Chinese and ancient Indian medicine practitioners. The rhino’s blood and flesh is considered to possess magical qualities and even its urine is used as an antiseptic. No doubt, poachers see the rhino as an easy source of income and ‘power’.

The rhino is an animal of definite habits. It seldom ventures out of its territories, uses the same trails to commute, and even defecates at the same spot most of the time. After observing the rhino for days, hunters dig a pit big enough to accommodate the animal on its route and cover it with leaves.
Unaware of the conspiracy, the rhino falls into the pit and is killed.

Tigers pose another major threat to rhinos. Despite the mother’s strict vigilance, rhino cubs often fall prey to tigers. But instances of tigers getting seriously injured in the process have also come to light.

Once Kaziranga National Park was an easy ground for the shikar parties of Rajas and Maharajas (one of the Ranas from Nepal killed 97 rhinos in a month!). Their hide made excellent shields and their body parts were used by royal ‘hakims’, or doctors to make aphrodisiac. But when the rhino population dwindled to a mere twelve in 1908, the authorities introduced stringent laws to save the species. In 1926, the area was declared a reserve forest and was closed for hunting. For the next twelve years, Kaziranga enjoyed being at an arm’s length from human beings. It was during this time that the Park was rejuvenated and grew into a healthy forest. In 1938, the area was thrown open to tourists once again.

Today, Kaziranga National Park in India is one of the biggest success stories of wildlife protection in the country. From twelve rhinos in 1908, Kaziranga had a whopping rhino population of 1200 by the turn of the century. However, the outer limit that the Park can sustain is 500. The lack of space and grazing area leads to serious conflicts amongst the rhinos and it is not uncommon to come across badly injured bulls in the Park. Nevertheless, the forest department is relocating rhinos to other National Parks in the country.

Ranthambhore National Park

¤ A Desired Hub For Great Indian Tiger

The 392 sq km of Ranthambhore National Park is perhaps India’s finest example of Project Tiger, a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of Sawai Madhopur, the Park has seen its ups and downs, and there were times not so long ago when poachers were having a field day in the Park. But recently thanks to the devoted work of some good field staff the forest has been restored to its old glory and is now seen as a much needed stronghold for the tiger which is battling for survival.

What is so special about this Park is the way history and forest have come together to create an amazing landscape not seen in very many places. The rich forest around the fort is littered with ruins that date back to the 10^th century. Parts of the fort that lie inside the Park have been reclaimed by nature. Can you imagine the sight of a wild tiger seeking shelter under architectural brilliance on a hot summer day, or a leopard standing majestically on the walls of the old fort?


¤ Park Encompasses The Magnificent Landscape

Ranthambhore has a wide variety of dazzling landscape to offer. The most frequented areas in the Park are around the beautiful lakes where a large number of the wild conjugates. One also gets a chance to drive through rolling grasslands, rushing streams, open scrubs, heavily wooded valleys and through deep ravines walled on either side with steep cliffs.


¤ A Royal Hunting Reserve of Jaipur Maharajas

The Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and as a National Park in 1980, seven years after the launch of Project Tiger. In 1984, the southern and northeast forests were declared as Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries. Before Independence, the forests of Ranthambhore were the preserve of the maharajas of Jaipur who frequently hunted here, and royal hunts go back to the 12^th century AD. These forests were the favorite hunting grounds of Prithviraj Chauhana, a Rajput ruler whose hunting zeal took him into other ruler’s lands and consequently into battle! In recent times, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were Maharaja Man Singh’s special guests in 1960.


¤ The Erstwhile People of Ranthambhore

Valmik Thapar in his book The Tiger's Destiny talks of the inhabitants of Ranthambhore fort as people who lived freely and easily in the forest. They revered the sun and the moon and were great worshippers of Vaghdeo, the tiger god who propitiated throughout the forest as lord of the area. They believed in a world of ghosts and spirits and wore a variety of charms and amulets to ward off evil ones. Even today, some of the villagers around Ranthambhore still have a bhopa (medicine man). The older generations remember their worship of the tiger and some cattle herders still ask for the blessings of the tiger god before taking their cattle to graze in the forests.

The indigenous residents of the Ranthambhore forests were a people called the Minas. It was their custom to mark the forehead of a new ruler with the blood taken from the thumb or toe of a member of a particular family in the tribe. This seems to have been an expression of their right to accept or reject their ruler.


¤ Flora & Fauna

The Vegetation In Ranthambhore
Ranthambhore forest is dry deciduous with dhok (Anogeissus pendula) trees as the main vegetation which is an important fodder tree for animals. Kulu (Sterculia urens), ronj (Acacia leucophloea), ber (Zizyphus maudrentiana), khimi (Manilkara hexandra), tendu (Diospyrous melanoxylon), polas (Butea monosperma), peepal, mango and banyan are prevalent in Ranthambhore. But perhaps the most spectacular is the flame of the forest which blooms in April, enveloping the forest in a spectacular fiery red aura. The four lakes in Ranthambhore are surrounded by a numerous species of trees like salar (Boswellia serrata), gurjan (Lannea coromandelica) and gum (Sterculia urens).

The Attractions of Age Old Banyan Trees
Among the more fascinating features of Ranthambhore are the banyan trees, some of which are known to be at least a 800 years old and are mentioned in ancient texts. Ranthambhore can also boasts of the superb specimen of the banyan tree that casts its magnificent canopy behind Jogi Mahal, the old hunting lodge by the lake built in the latter part on the last century by the Maharaja of Jaipur.

¤ The Wildlife Attractions

Ranthambhore National Park spans an area of about 400 sq km with a tiger population of about 32. The tiger is relatively easier to spot in Ranthambhore than in many other National Parks, thanks to the tourist friendly nature of the tigers and the openness of its surroundings.

The Park also supports a large number of other wild species including leopards, the highly endangered caracal, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, wild boar, marsh crocodile, porcupine, common langur, spotted deer, Indian gazelle, sambar (Asiatic stag) and nilgai (bluebull). Some of these species (especially the nocturnal ones like the leopard and the caracal) are difficult to spot and sightings are rare, but then that is bound to happen when every eye in the Park is looking for what Ranthambhore is best known for – the tiger.


¤ Langur Population

The langur is the only primate found in Ranthambhore and is abundant in these forests. It is not the tiger's best friend. Actually it is a source of great annoyance to the tiger, since it has a remarkable eyesight and from its high perch it can spot the slightest movement; its shrill alarm call effectively warns all the other animals of danger. But if you are looking for tigers you should be listening carefully, a langur’s alarm call or for that matter a chital’s (spotted deer) call might be a good indication of the presence of a tiger in the area.


¤ Sambar

Another animal that is sure to come you way in Ranthambhore is the sambar. It is among the tiger's favourite prey. Largest of the Asiatic deer, the sambar stands some 1.5 metres at the shoulder and weighs more than 270 kilograms.


¤ Attraction of Bird Population

Ranthambhore is also rich in migratory, water, and woodland birds. There are about 270 species of birds in the Park including a large number of migratory birds. Some of the many varities of birdlife to be found here are the great Indian horned owl, various species of eagles such as Bonelli’s eagle and the crested serpent, spoonbills, partridge, quail, parakeets, kingfishers, owls and storks, geese and ducks. But perhaps the most visible bird in Ranthambhore is the peacock, India's national bird. Every evening the peacocks of Ranthambhore line up on the walls of the fort which stands on a cliff above the Park and, after much calling, descend to specific roosting trees for the night.

¤ A Desired Hub For Great Indian Tiger

The 392 sq km of Ranthambhore National Park is perhaps India’s finest example of Project Tiger, a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of Sawai Madhopur, the Park has seen its ups and downs, and there were times not so long ago when poachers were having a field day in the Park. But recently thanks to the devoted work of some good field staff the forest has been restored to its old glory and is now seen as a much needed stronghold for the tiger which is battling for survival.

What is so special about this Park is the way history and forest have come together to create an amazing landscape not seen in very many places. The rich forest around the fort is littered with ruins that date back to the 10^th century. Parts of the fort that lie inside the Park have been reclaimed by nature. Can you imagine the sight of a wild tiger seeking shelter under architectural brilliance on a hot summer day, or a leopard standing majestically on the walls of the old fort?


¤ Park Encompasses The Magnificent Landscape

Ranthambhore has a wide variety of dazzling landscape to offer. The most frequented areas in the Park are around the beautiful lakes where a large number of the wild conjugates. One also gets a chance to drive through rolling grasslands, rushing streams, open scrubs, heavily wooded valleys and through deep ravines walled on either side with steep cliffs.


¤ A Royal Hunting Reserve of Jaipur Maharajas

The Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and as a National Park in 1980, seven years after the launch of Project Tiger. In 1984, the southern and northeast forests were declared as Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries. Before Independence, the forests of Ranthambhore were the preserve of the maharajas of Jaipur who frequently hunted here, and royal hunts go back to the 12^th century AD. These forests were the favorite hunting grounds of Prithviraj Chauhana, a Rajput ruler whose hunting zeal took him into other ruler’s lands and consequently into battle! In recent times, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were Maharaja Man Singh’s special guests in 1960.


¤ The Erstwhile People of Ranthambhore

Valmik Thapar in his book The Tiger's Destiny talks of the inhabitants of Ranthambhore fort as people who lived freely and easily in the forest. They revered the sun and the moon and were great worshippers of Vaghdeo, the tiger god who propitiated throughout the forest as lord of the area. They believed in a world of ghosts and spirits and wore a variety of charms and amulets to ward off evil ones. Even today, some of the villagers around Ranthambhore still have a bhopa (medicine man). The older generations remember their worship of the tiger and some cattle herders still ask for the blessings of the tiger god before taking their cattle to graze in the forests.

The indigenous residents of the Ranthambhore forests were a people called the Minas. It was their custom to mark the forehead of a new ruler with the blood taken from the thumb or toe of a member of a particular family in the tribe. This seems to have been an expression of their right to accept or reject their ruler.


¤ Flora & Fauna

The Vegetation In Ranthambhore
Ranthambhore forest is dry deciduous with dhok (Anogeissus pendula) trees as the main vegetation which is an important fodder tree for animals. Kulu (Sterculia urens), ronj (Acacia leucophloea), ber (Zizyphus maudrentiana), khimi (Manilkara hexandra), tendu (Diospyrous melanoxylon), polas (Butea monosperma), peepal, mango and banyan are prevalent in Ranthambhore. But perhaps the most spectacular is the flame of the forest which blooms in April, enveloping the forest in a spectacular fiery red aura. The four lakes in Ranthambhore are surrounded by a numerous species of trees like salar (Boswellia serrata), gurjan (Lannea coromandelica) and gum (Sterculia urens).

The Attractions of Age Old Banyan Trees
Among the more fascinating features of Ranthambhore are the banyan trees, some of which are known to be at least a 800 years old and are mentioned in ancient texts. Ranthambhore can also boasts of the superb specimen of the banyan tree that casts its magnificent canopy behind Jogi Mahal, the old hunting lodge by the lake built in the latter part on the last century by the Maharaja of Jaipur.

¤ The Wildlife Attractions

Ranthambhore National Park spans an area of about 400 sq km with a tiger population of about 32. The tiger is relatively easier to spot in Ranthambhore than in many other National Parks, thanks to the tourist friendly nature of the tigers and the openness of its surroundings.

The Park also supports a large number of other wild species including leopards, the highly endangered caracal, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, wild boar, marsh crocodile, porcupine, common langur, spotted deer, Indian gazelle, sambar (Asiatic stag) and nilgai (bluebull). Some of these species (especially the nocturnal ones like the leopard and the caracal) are difficult to spot and sightings are rare, but then that is bound to happen when every eye in the Park is looking for what Ranthambhore is best known for – the tiger.


¤ Langur Population

The langur is the only primate found in Ranthambhore and is abundant in these forests. It is not the tiger's best friend. Actually it is a source of great annoyance to the tiger, since it has a remarkable eyesight and from its high perch it can spot the slightest movement; its shrill alarm call effectively warns all the other animals of danger. But if you are looking for tigers you should be listening carefully, a langur’s alarm call or for that matter a chital’s (spotted deer) call might be a good indication of the presence of a tiger in the area.


¤ Sambar

Another animal that is sure to come you way in Ranthambhore is the sambar. It is among the tiger's favourite prey. Largest of the Asiatic deer, the sambar stands some 1.5 metres at the shoulder and weighs more than 270 kilograms.


¤ Attraction of Bird Population

Ranthambhore is also rich in migratory, water, and woodland birds. There are about 270 species of birds in the Park including a large number of migratory birds. Some of the many varities of birdlife to be found here are the great Indian horned owl, various species of eagles such as Bonelli’s eagle and the crested serpent, spoonbills, partridge, quail, parakeets, kingfishers, owls and storks, geese and ducks. But perhaps the most visible bird in Ranthambhore is the peacock, India's national bird. Every evening the peacocks of Ranthambhore line up on the walls of the fort which stands on a cliff above the Park and, after much calling, descend to specific roosting trees for the night.

Sunderbans National Park

Sunderbans - The World Heritage Site

The holy Ganga journeys down the Himalayas and flows along India’s vast monotonous plains into the state of West Bengal. Towards the southern tip of the state, the land and the Bay of Bengal break out into a lively welcoming fandango to form a fresco of tangled mangrove swamps – the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans National Park are spread out over an area of 16,500sq km in the prostrate delta towards the mouth of the Ganga, and form the world’s largest estuarine forests that constitute 80% of India’s total mangrove swamps. A World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans are also amongst the richest biosphere reserves in the subcontinent.

The silt deposit islands on the Sunderbans Delta are connected to the mainland through a labyrinthine waterway system, with some islands being practically impenetrable. This has turned out to be a boon in disguise because the ecology of the area and these fecund marshlands, wired in thick foliage, are able to support an astonishing variety of plant and animal life. Twenty-six of the fifty broad mangrove types found in the world, thrive in the Sunderbans.


¤ A Home To Largest Tiger Population

In order to preserve this clearly unique biosphere, the area between River Hooghly and the River Teulia was declared a National Park in the year 1984. The protected reserve covers a stretch of 1,330sq km, and also constitutes the core zone of the National Park.

Compared to other reserves in the world, Sunderbans National Park has the largest population of tigers, and also abounds in salt water crocodiles, olive Ridley turtles, Gangetic dolphins, chitals (spotted deer), fishing cats, wild boars, otters, rhesus macaques, monitor lizards, snakes, innumerable fishes, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, worms and a host of birds including kingfishers, storks, herons, Brahmin ducks, arghilahs, ibises, water fowl and egrets, to name only a few.

Corbett National Park

¤ Famous As A Great Tiger Habitat

Undoubtedly the most beautiful Park in North and Central India, Corbett National Park is India’s first National Park. The Park was established in August 8, 1936, and named after the Governor of the United Provinces, Sir Malcolm Hailey, as Hailey National Park. In 1952, the Park’s name was changed to Ramganga National Park. In 1957, the Park was renamed yet again, this time after Jim Corbett, the famed hunter-author-photographer-naturalist.

Jim Corbett is famous for his exploits in the jungles of Nainital and Kumaon, where he shot many man-eaters. The Man-eaters of Kumaon,The Temple Tiger and The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag are a few of Jim Corbett’s famous books. On the road to Nainital from the Park is Jim Corbett’s home, now a museum.

Situated in the north of Uttar Pradesh, in Nainital and Garhwal districts, Corbett National Park was the venue from where Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973. Project Tiger aimed at saving the tiger from extinction because a census in 1970 revealed that the tiger population had dwindled to 2,000, from 40,000 in 1913.

The Park is situated in the Himalayan foothills, amidst forested mountains that range from 400m (1,312ft) to 1,210m (3,970ft) in height. Through most of the Park flows the Ramganga River, on the banks of which lived a community in ancient times. It is believed that these people cleared away a tiny part of the forest, and made the area their home. Evidence in the form of terracotta figurines and ruined temples further corroborate the fact that the Ramganga valley was the home of an ancient civilisation.

¤ Flora Attraction

Corbett National Park is rich in vegetation, with different kinds of trees and shrubs. The lower reaches of the Park, where the land is flat compared to the upper reaches, consists of tall and slender sal (Shorea robusta) trees. Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and khair (Acacia katechu) trees are found in the middle reaches, while the upper reaches of the mountains are full of bakli (Anogeissus latifolia), chir (Pinus roxburghii), gurail (Bauhinia racemosa) and bamboo trees. The Park is dotted with lantana shrubs, a species that is a great cause for concern. Imported years ago from America, the lantana shrub ensures that nothing else grows near it. In the Park are 110 species of trees, 51 species of shrubs, and over 33 species of bamboo and grass that are mostly found in chowds, or meadows.


¤ Wildlife Attractions

Corbett National Park has more than 50 species of mammals, 585 species of birds and 25 species of reptiles, but the Park is known for its elephants and leopards, not its tigers. Many kinds of deer, namely chital (spotted deer), sambar (Indian stag), chinkara (Indian gazelle), pada (hog deer) and muntjac (barking deer) abound in the Park.


¤ Tiger Sighting

Tiger sighting is rare, in spite of a lot of alarm calls from monkeys and deer. Elephant herds comprising tuskers, females and calves are commonly seen. However, an elephant herd with calves is perhaps the most dangerous encounter in the wild, for elephants are very possessive of their young and do not hesitate to charge at intruding human beings.

Leopard sighting is even rarer than that of the tiger, and these spotted cats confine themselves to the higher reaches of the Park. Other feline species found in the Park are leopard cats, jungle cats, the rare fishing cat, and caracal, to name a few. Sloth bears, wild boars, monkeys, dholes (wild dogs), jackals and ghorals (mountain goats) also inhabit the Park.


¤ Aquatic Reptile Population

The aquatic reptile population in the Park consists of mugger (Crocodylus palustris) and gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) crocodiles, while Indian rock pythons, Russell’s vipers, cobras, king cobras and common kraits are some of the snakes found in the Park. Bird life includes parakeets, flycatchers, babblers, cuckoos, robins, bulbuls, Indian and Great Pied hornbills, warblers and finches, to name a few.

Dudhwa National Park

¤ Dudhwa National Park - The Largest and Thickest Forests Reserve

As the morning sun shines over the 50 feet tall Sal trees, dragonflies stretch out their wings by the gentle warmth of the golden sun. Sitting calmly on the dew- drenched leaves, they bask in the fresh warmth to recharge themselves for the day’s flight. Somewhere in the distance a koyal welcomes the morning with it's musical ode. Very little of the sun is able to cut through the thickness of the jungle. But what reaches the ground definitely explodes into a majestic display of light and shadow on the canvas of dry leaves.
Besides massive grassland and swamps, the Park boasts of one of the finest qualities of Sal (Shorea robusta) forests in India. Some of these trees are more than 150 years old and over 70 feet tall. But when the area was first notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1965, and later as a National Park in 1977, it faced intense opposition from foresters, game lovers and local inhabitants.


¤ Converted Into National Park

Nobody wanted to lose this precious piece of land that was a life-support system for the locals. It was Billy Arjun Singh who stepped in to see Dudhwa through its fate. Committed to the point of being obsessive, this man stood firmly in favour of the jungle and convinced the erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to notify the forest as a National Park.

This was a turning point in the history of Dudhwa National Park. Till then, the forest was a safe haven for both poachers and timber smugglers. Soon strict measures were taken to save the forest. In 1976, the park boasted of a population of 50 tigers, 41 elephants and 76 bears apart from five species of deer, more than 400 species of birds, a few crocodiles, and some other species of mammals and reptiles. officials claim that today the tiger population in Dudhwa has touched 70. However, the local NGOs believe that the number of tigers in Dudhwa doesn’t cross 20.


¤ Main Wildlife Attractions

Barasingha
Dudhwa National Park holidays will take you to your most thrilling holiday vacations where one rendezvous the barasingha, or the swamp deer, which can be seen in herds of more than a 100. India is the only country where this species of deer is found. According to a crude estimate, only 4,000 odd barasinghas have survived on the planet today, out of which more than 2,000 are found in Dudhwa.

Smaller than the sambar, the barasinghas have 12 antlers that can collectively measure more than 100cm in height. A full-grown stag can weigh as much as 180kg and measure 135cm at shoulder height. The coat is slightly woolly, dark brown to pale yellow, adapted perfectly to camouflage the herd in the tall elephant grasses of the region.

With the onset of winter, there is plenty of food to eat and warm sun for the deer to bask in. It is the right time for the females to conceive and for the males to form harems. This is the season when the swamps of Dudhwa echo with the frequent wallowing of rutting stags. There is hardly a serious conflict between the adult males. Mock fights entail stiff postures and shrill calls rather than the actual locking of the horns. But the most intriguing behaviour of the rutting male swamp deer is to decorate its antlers with grass – probably a ritual before going in for a mass courting.

Time For The New Borns
The onset of spring brings back harmony. The females have conceived and now the herd should be prepared to welcome the newborn fawns. There is no point wearing domineering antlers now. With winter gone, it’s time to shed the woolly coats. During this point of time in the year, one can hardly see any fights amongst the males. Suddenly everyone in the herd is busy grazing, preparing themselves for the harsh summer ahead.

Tiger Population
Another major attraction of the Dudhwa National Park is its tiger population. Holidays in Dudhwa National Park gives ample opportunity to site the majestic creatures, the tigers.Once Dudhwa was severely affected by man-eating tigers. Although today one hardly hears of man-eating tigers in Dudhwa, the structure of the Park could have facilitated the attacks. This is probably the only Park that doesn't have adequate buffer area to support the main Park. This leads to conflict between human beings and animals that do not respect each other’s territories.

In the late 70s, Dudhwa became a wildlife hotspot that was famous the world over. The reason – indiscriminate killings by a tiger. On March 2, 1978, the first ever case of man-eating in the history of the National Park was registered. Soon after, three more men were killed. Suddenly, shock and fear gripped the entire area. The entire city lodged a protest with the forest officials, demanding the man-eater be killed.

The Increasing Incidence of Man- Eating
One after another, reports of more killings began to make the headlines of newspapers, but soon, the tale of the man-eating tiger acquired a new twist. The forest officials and the public had by now started believing that Tara, a tigress born in a zoo in London, brought up in Billy Arjun Singh’s farmhouse, Tiger Haven and rehabilitated in Dudhwa, was behind the killings. Billy, the man who was instrumental in getting the Park notified was conducting experiments on the big cats.
After rearing leopard and tiger cubs to adulthood, he had tried to rehabilitate them in the jungle. These experiments invited both criticism and appreciation from wildlife lovers all over the world.

The forest officials and the locals had a strong feeling that Billy’s experiments had failed and the tigress he introduced in the wild had not acquired the skill, agility or technique to hunt, which is very important for any tiger to survive. Tara was born and brought up in the company of men, and the forest officials believed that she was not afraid of human beings. They were convinced that since she did not know how to hunt alert and agile wild animals, she had taken to man-eating. Even today, the controversy rages on.

However, after a total 24 cases of man-eating, the killer tigress was done to death by the forest officials (Billy himself was one of the hunters) on November 11, 1979. It was once again a season of arguments and counter arguments. While one lobby tried to project the killed tigress as Tara, Billy presented evidence to deny the same. Nonetheless, whosoever she was, this man-eating tigress of Dudhwa is very much alive in the memories of the elders and the staff of Dudhwa.

Tigers Are Not Born Man-Eaters
It is not so that Dudhwa has only negative experiments to its credit; it has a few success stories as well. Billy and Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, who was the Director of the Park, even conducted experiments to reform man-eating tigers. Both Billy and Yadav are passionate conservationists. Both of them are of the opinion that tigers are not born man-eaters, they are forced into man-eating only when human beings encroach upon their habitat and interfere with their lifestyle. Guided by their instincts in such a situation, tigers are forced to attack and eat man. Detailed and minute observations of the site of killings over a period of time turned this conjecture into a belief.

Sasan Gir National Park

¤ Great Habitat of Asiatic Lions

Amidst the vast arid landscape that dominates the state of Gujarat, towards the tip of the Saurashtra Peninsula, lies a wildlife oasis that has a pool of biodiversity the rest of the world has lost a long time ago.
This 1,412sq km reserve, with a core zone of 260sq km, is home to the last 300 Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) left on the planet. Once this majestic animal was found all over Asia Minor, Arabia, Persia and India. But the royal families’ insatiable desire to kill and to ‘decorate’ the walls of their palaces with stuffed ‘trophies’ led to a near wipeout of the species from the jungles that cover this stretch.


¤ Shikar Obsession of Royal Court

The obsession for shikar,or hunt intensified with the advent of the British. One can see hundreds of photographs with big game like lions or tigers lying dead in the foreground, and a team of shikaris, or hunters standing proudly behind it brandishing as many as 30 guns. The kind of havoc these shikar parties have wreaked in the jungles is just unbelievable. A British officer of the India cavalry, who was posted in the princely state of Kathiawar for three years, shot more than 80 lions. Another British officer killed 14 lions during his ten-day visit to the Gir forest. and the number of ungulates and birds that must have fallen to the guns of the British, is anyone’s guess.


¤ Hunting- A Royal Treat

In fact, once upon a time, hunting in Gir was a privilege. Dignitaries such as viceroys and princes of the Indian states were formally invited to ‘enjoy’ a shikar of the lion by the Nawab of Junagadh. and sure enough, people craved to be royal guests at Junagadh as this ‘election’ was considered a matter of great pride and honour.

Things however changed for the better by the end of 18^th century when worried over the rapidly-dwindling population of lions, Lord Curzon declined the invitation to hunt and requested the Nawab to take steps to conserve the species. It is believed that just 20 lions were left in the jungles of Gir at the time. Immediately after this, the Nawab imposed a ban on the shooting of lions. But he retained the rights to allow royal guests to shoot a few animals every year. However, the people of Junagadh, and ironically so at the behest of the Nawab, left no stone unturned to conserve the species.

¤ Government Completely Banned Hunting

By 1911, the wildlife population in the jungles of Gir had risen commendably. In the 1950’s, hunting lions was totally banned. Since then, the area has seen a constant rise in the lion population. Today the total count of lions at Gir National Park stands at about 300.


¤ The Charm of Sighting The Great Asiatic Lions

The Asiatic Lion is a smaller species than its cousin in Africa. Standing at 90 centimetres at the shoulder, the Asiatic Lion can weigh anything between 200-250 kg. It is 8-9 ft in length, the tail itself measuring about 60-90 cm. It has a much longer mane and tail tuft than the African Lion. The elbows are also larger and the coat thinner. But what sets it apart it from its cousin in Africa is the distinctive fold on its belly.

Unlike most members of the felidae family, adult lions live in pairs. Normally, the association is long lasting. It is not unusual to come across a family of a lion, lioness and three to four cubs under a shady tree or near a water hole in the Gir. The family relaxes by the day and hunts when the sun touches the horizon. Hunting is a family affair. The pride drives and isolates its quarry from the herd before bringing it down. Eating is again get-together time, with the family members assembled all around the kill, munching their favourite parts.

The Asiatic Lion’s prey includes the nilgai, chital, sambar and almost all ungulates it could lay its paws upon, including goats, buffaloes and camels that belong to the Maldharis and Rabaris tribes living on the peripheries of the Park.


¤ Other Attractions of Gir National Park

Apart from lions, Gir has a considerable population of leopards. According to a census conducted in1995, the Park has a total of 294 leopards, making Gir the best place in India to watch the big cats. But this also makes the Park a bit cramped for enough space to accommodate all the big cats.
The logical fallout has been more and more attacks on the villagers (and their livestock) living on the peripheries of the sanctuary.

Unfortunately, the Park doesn’t support an adequate number of prey species. The 1995 census indicates that the area has total of 772 sambars, 10,446 chitals, 2,081 nilgais, 311 chinkaras, 2,212 wild boars and 6,912 langurs for a population of more than 600 big cats. Consequently, almost everyday there are incidences of cattle-lifting. In fact, the lions have become so daring that sometimes they lift cattle from the homes of the villagers.


¤ Fascinating Aerial Population

The Park is also rich in birdlife. The most commonly found birds are the Paradise flycatcher, fish owl, black vulture, shaheen falcon, crested serpent eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, crested swift, pied wood-pecker, gray drongo, cuckoo shrike, painted sandgrouse, gray partridge and the white-neck stork.


¤ Reptile Population

More than 25 species of reptiles have been identified in the Park. Marsh crocodiles can be seen in the rivers that run across its length. There is a Crocodile Rearing Centre in Sasan, where one can see crocodiles measuring a few centimetres to a metre.

The best way to observe the wildlife in Gir is by driving through the most popular and promising trails during early mornings and late evenings. A good reliable car (although nothing can match a jeep) can take you from Sasan to Bhawal Chowk, Kankai, Chodavdi Tulsishyam and Kamaleshwar Dam.

Kanha National Park

¤ Kanha - Idle Location For Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book

Kanha Tiger Reserve became famous when the author Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in 1894, setting his story in Kanha’s forests. While in Kanha National Park, you will see the dramatic beauty of the forest and the immense variety of wildlife that must have fired the author’s imagination, and ample opportunity for elephant safari.

Even before Kipling, Kanha National Park(like many other National Parks in India) was famous as a preferred hunting ground for rulers and viceroys. The first effort to conserve this area was in 1933, when about 250sq km of the forested Kanha valley was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary. Another 300sq km of the adjoining Supkhar Sanctuary was added to the original area, only to be de-notified within a few years, after which just the original 230sq km of wilderness remained protected.


¤ Opened As A Hunting Ground

oftentimes, unpleasant incidents have made us sit up and realise that certain forest areas needed to be protected. A famous cricketer in the early 1950s, Maharaja Kumar of Vijayanagram was allowed to shoot as many as 30 tigers in and around the Sanctuary for the sheer sake of sport. This incident was followed by a public outcry that forced the authorities to formulate a special legislation and declare the area a National Park in 1955. The size of Kanha National Park increased to 318sq km in 1962, and again to 446sq km in 1970. In 1976, Kanha National Park became a part of Project Tiger that was launched in 1972, giving the Park its present area of 940sq km. This is surrounded by an additional buffer area of 1,005sq km. Project Tiger was essentially a conservation effort begun by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Its main objective was to ensure that the poaching of tigers stopped, and to secure the tiger’s habitat.


¤ Flora & Fauna

Mammals & Reptiles
Today, Kanha National Park is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in India, and it harbours a rich diversity of plants and animals. A photographer’s paradise, Kanha offers unlimited possibilities of capturing wildlife on film. Kanha Tiger Reserve is often called Tiger Land, and visitors narrate innumerable and unforgettable instances of tiger sightings. Even in terms of conservation, the National Park has been a remarkable success, and has protected a number of species that might otherwise have been altogether extinct.

Flora
Vegetation in Kanha National Park varies with altitude. The meadows, speckled with climbs of the great sal tree (Shorea robusta), are interspersed with larger areas of the great sal forests. In the higher reaches, bamboo becomes more prominent till the mixed jungle with almost 70 species of trees, replaces the bamboo trees. Finally, the flat tops of the ridges, locally known as dadar, are covered with grasslands sparingly scattered with trees.

¤ Other Wildlife Attractions

These forests are a treasure trove of wildlife. Kanha National Park is home to as many as 22 species of large mammals commonly found in the Park, and almost 300 species of birds. Sightings of a common langur (long-tailed monkey), jackal, wild boar, chital (spotted deer), sambar (Indian stag) and blackbuck are not unusual. However, the Indian porcupine, sloth bear, hyena, jungle cat, leopard, chausingha (four-horned antelope) and nilgai (blue bull) are very elusive. Other sightings, such as those of the tiger, gaur (Indian bison), dhole (Indian wild dog), muntjac (barking deer), hare and mongoose need patience, time and luck.

The Predator Population Supports The Eco-system
In an ecosystem, the key indicators of the vitality of the system are the predators. A thriving predator population in a forest is indicative of an abundance of the prey species (like deer), and of the entire food chain. Kanha Tiger Reserve has a variety of predators of all sizes, both from the cat family (like tigers and leopards) as well as from the dog family (like jackals, wolves and wild dogs). The tiger is the largest predator here, capable of killing the mighty gaur (Indian bison). The fierce leopard is usually nocturnal and very elusive, so much so that a leopard sighting is even more rare than that of a tiger despite the fact that leopards outnumber tigers. Among the small cats, Kanha National Park is home to the jungle cat and ratel that feast on small mammals, birds, eggs, lizards and carrion.

The Deadly Dhole
The dog family is also well represented in Kanha Tiger Reserve. The Indian fox, the jackal, the striped hyena and the dhole (Indian wild dog) are common in the Park. The dhole is perhaps the most misunderstood of all these predators. All predators kill to survive, but the dhole has a reputation of being a bloody killer. What has earned the dhole this reputation is the way in which it kills. Almost all other predators kill in terrain that has some cover. The dhole is a coursing predator that kills mostly in open terrain. It hunts in packs, (up to 40 dholes can form one pack) that synchronize their attack. The pack splits into two; one group chases the prey, flushing it towards the other half of the pack. The dhole pack runs after its unfortunate prey, biting off flesh from the animal until it falls. What follows the chase is not a pretty sight either. The prey is usually large, and since the dhole lacks the killing bite of the large cat, the only way to kill its prey is by biting off chunks of meat, thereby bleeding the animal to death. Large dhole packs can kill animals as big as the gaur (Indian bison), and incidents have been reported where a pack was able to kill a tiger.

All this had made the dhole a very dreaded predator. Until 25 years ago, it was seen as a pest and falsely accused for being responsible for the decline in the number of deer. It carried a bounty on its head and was indiscriminately killed. But fortunately, the dhole is now protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act that forbids the hunting of this animal. More research is being done on the dhole, and for the first time, the focus is on the softer side to this animal.

The Barasingha’s Last Resort
The barasingha (swamp deer) is usually a very alert animal. Even while resting at the edge of a meadow, it is always wary of the presence of a predator. The barasingha is an extremely interesting animal to watch in the wild. Its antlers could have as many as 12 tines, which is why the deer is called barasingha (‘bara’ in Hindi means 12 and ‘singha’, antler). The barasingha’s large antlers are often adorned with tufts of grass, like streamers on a Christmas tree.

Take a jeep safari or elephant safari to explore the wild treasures in the Kanha National Park. The sight that is likely to greet you in the morning in Kanha National Park would be that of a large barasingha herd grazing in a chowd (open terrain). A nice way to start your day, but it wasn’t always like that. Once found throughout Central India, this subspecies of the barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi) is now restricted to Kanha. It was in Kanha Tiger Reserve that the barasingha was rescued from the brink of extinction. In the 1970s, the barasingha population had dwindled to a mere 66. Serious efforts were made by all concerned authorities, and the swamp deer population gradually increased. The efforts included the enlargement of the barasingha’s habitat through village relocation.

Deer thrive in open meadows and tall grasslands. Unfortunately, because of the threat from human beings and domestic cattle, the barasingha migrated from Kanha. Even today, the population of this subspecies of swamp deer keeps fluctuating and continues to be a cause for grave concern.

Found in the northern part of India, the barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi) has a subspecies that is different from its northern counterpart. This ‘other’ barasingha (Cervus duvauceli duvauceli) has pointed and compact hooves that enable it to move with ease on the grassland’s hard terrain. It is not very fond of water and rarely moves into sal forests. Grasslands are vital to the barasingha not only because it feeds almost exclusively on grass, but also because tall grass provides protection to the newborn fawn that is unable to keep up with the herd. Once the fawn is stronger, it will join the herd, but before that, it must stay well hidden from predators. Individuals of the same sex and age form separate schools, and sometimes large herds of almost 40 fawns can be seen frolicking around at one place, very much like children in a classroom.

The adults and fawns graze separately. often engaging in mock fights, the sub-adult males lock their antlers in a trial of strength. However, the more serious fights among the adult males from December to January, the crucial mating season, are a sight to behold. The competing stags lock antlers with all their strength, kicking clouds of dust around them. The females graze around them, seemingly unconcerned by the sight and the sound of the clashing antlers. The young ones can’t help being a little curious, and watch the fight from the corner of their eyes. The winner, after having chased away the loser, basks in mud before reentering the herd. There have been incidents when the antlers of the warring stags had got so intricately tangled that the animals were unable to detach themselves. Not being able to graze nor drink, the animals died a slow death. At times, human intervention failed to detach the barasinghas locked antlers even after the deer had died.

The Tiger in Trouble
If you are in Kanha National Park, you are in Tiger Land. Chances of seeing a tiger here are good despite the fact that the sal forests can get quite dense at places. Seen in its natural habitat, the tiger is one of the most fascinating beasts in the world. It is also almost invisible, be it in greenery or in brown bush. The tiger has this amazing ability to sneak up on its prey without the slightest sound, even while walking on dry undergrowth. But there’s a catch. While a tiger lies in the bush, it is almost impossible to see the animal – it stays perfectly still without a sound. Except for its tail, which it can never hold still, however hard it tries.

George Schaller, a well-known wildlife researcher, did a study in Kanha National Park on the tiger and the major herbivores that form its prey. Conducted in 1967, this research is regarded as one of the best studies on Indian Wildlife, and has inspired other similar projects. These studies show that at its best, Kanha can sustain a rather large tiger population, especially in the core areas of the reserve. But as is the case with other Tiger Reserves in India, the tiger is fighting a battle of survival in Kanha as well. Not only is the tiger being killed, its habitat is continuously being encroached upon and its prey being hunted down by human beings.

Massive Decrease In Tiger Population Due To Hunting
In the early 20^th century, there were about 40,000 tigers in the Indian subcontinent. This was before royal shikars (hunts) became a cult for the princes of India. Perched safely on elephants and machans (observation towers), royalty hunted the tiger. Royal hunts were an experience in themselves. While Jim Corbett hunted his man-eaters with a rifle, camping in dense forests for days accompanied only by his dog Robin, the maharajas (kings) found another way to bag their game.

Each state had its own army, and with battles becoming a thing of the past, these troops were used to drawing out game. Hundreds of men armed with weapons, drums, pots, and pans would step into the jungles. Then would begin the noisiest ‘safari’ a forest had seen, the ultimate goal being to drive animals out to where royalty waited to blast away with guns.

Tiger Conservation Programme Launched
Project Tiger, a conservation programme launched in 1972 by India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, adopted the Indian tiger. The project’s main objective was to safeguard the tiger from poachers, but by the mid-90s, the project had lost its initial drive besides, it helped in promotion of wildlife tourism in India.

The poaching of tigers continues, and each and every part of the dead animal fetches a high price in the international market, especially in China where it is widely used in traditional East Asian medicines. Tiger teeth, fangs and claws make exotic and much sought after pendants that are believed to keep evil spirits at bay. Tiger skin fetches an unbelievable price from collectors.

Bird Population
To a casual visitor, Kanha National Park’s bird life might not seem impressive, but if you pay attention, you will find a lot of birds in Kanha. Bird watching is not very simple in Kanha, but is worth the trouble.

Get ready to go bird watching with a pair of binoculars, an identification book (recommended: The Book of Indian Birds by Salim Ali, or Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Grimmett) and patience, and you might be in for a field day. The best time to go bird watching on the hills or in the meadows of Kanha is just after daybreak.
The sal forest is not particularly rich in bird life, but the rest of the Park compensates for that. Prize sightings include the Malabar pied hornbill, paradise flycatcher, black vulture, red spurfowl, pied crested cuckoo, Eurasian kingfisher and rosy pastor, to name a few.

Common sightings include those of doves, drongos, pigeons, parakeets, woodpeckers, warblers, herons, teals, quails, swallows, shrikes, mynahs, babblers, flycatchers, pipits, sparrows, egrets and cormorants. Among the birds of prey that rule the skies over Kanha are the serpent eagle, crested honey buzzard, white eyed buzzard, black-winged kite, nightjar, shikra, lagger and shaheen falcon, kestrel and a number of owls including the barn owl and brown fish owl, and owlets. Kanha is also home to some species of vultures, of which only the white-backed vulture is commonly seen. The others like the black vulture, the Egyptian vulture and the long-billed vulture are evasive.

Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary

The Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary was initially created by Maharaja Suraj Mal, because he had some great ideas – not of conservation, but of the possibility of a constant supply of waterfowl for the royal dining table. At that time, it used to be a scrubby depression of land, seasonally enlivened by ephemeral ponds of water following the monsoons.
These ponds attracted some unsuspecting migratory ducks and geese in the winter months, and so Suraj Mal decided to turn it into a permanent reservoir, the Arjun Bund. and soon, Bharatpur,Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary became one of India's most productive hunting reserves. So much so that the British officials used to vie for invitations!

The 16 square miles of marsh known as the Ghana jheel (ghana means dense, and jheel lake) hosted such grand duck shoots that no serious sportsman could afford to miss it. Colonel Sawai Brijendra Singh, a later maharaja of Bharatpur, explains: "The jheel had islands to which I constructed little roads that were wide enough for cars to take VIPs out to their butts… Each duck shoot took months to arrange and to see that VIPs were not given bad butts was like making the seating arrangement for a dinner party. At the last moment someone would say, "Sorry, I can't come", and you then had to go through the list seeing who should go into a VIP butt and who could have his place." Yet when it came to the largest bags, even Bharatpur had to give way to the imperial sandgrouse shoots at Bikaner.


¤ Flora & Fauna

The Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary is now home to more than 370 species of birds. This large number comes somewhat as a surprise, considering what went on earlier in the name of a game. The site has gone through some of the worst events of duck shoots in the world. In November 1938, the then Viceroy Lord Linlithgow and his party massacred as many as 4273 ducks and geese. Linlithgow had with him two loaders to help him reload, and his guns got so hot with the rapid firing that they had to be sloshed regularly with cold water!

There's also a small temple in the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary which has a pillar near it with an inscription that reveals that over 5000 ducks were shot in one day alone. But thankfully things somewhat changed after Independence. Ghana became a Sanctuary in 1956, and graduated to being a National Park in 1981. This unique water-bird haven is recognized by the UNESCO as a world heritage site. The Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary provides unlimited opportunities for the bird watcher, wildlife photographer, nature writer, researcher in biology and, of course, the travel freak. The vegetation of the area is that of mixed deciduous forest type with plants like babool (Acacia arabica), ber and khajur.


¤ During Springs The Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary Comes To Life

The first shower of the season makes the park come alive, teeming with hundreds of feathered species. Cormorants, darters, spoonbills, ibises, herons, egrets, cranes, pelicans, flamingos, geese, ducks, larks, chats, kites, buntings, eagles, harriers, owls, vultures, kingfishers and many more are the part of this vibrant wetland, building nests in an estimated 50,000 trees. There are few places in the world where such a variety of birds can be so easily observed.

Visitors have claimed to have seen at least 80 species of birds among the 370 apart from some animals like the jackal, mongoose, sambar (large Asiatic deer), wild boar, turtles, monitor lizards within just half an hour of stepping into the park.

Wildlife enthusiast Charlie Pye-Smith gives a wonderful account of his visit: "Vast numbers of egret, stork, cormorant, spoonbill, ibis and heron had turned a babool wood into a raucous and smelly slum.
Jacana, pond heron and white breasted waterhen stalked silently over the lily pads while whiskered tern and pied kingfisher plunged into open water in search of fish and eels. In the dry scrub beyond the water's edge there were mynahs, drongos, shrikes, bee-eaters and parakeets. The geese and ducks which fly south from the northern breeding grounds to spend the winter here had just begun to trickle in, but it was too early for Bharatpur's most famous, the Siberian crane.

The first to arrive are the herons, followed by egrets, cormorants, ibis, spoonbills and storks, then the winter migrants from the Arctic Tundra and western Siberia – numerous species of ducks, geese, coots, eagles, harriers and cranes. The new arrivals merge with the residents and a cacophony of sounds results.
Valmik Thapar in his book Land of the Tiger has given a descriptive account of this bird paradise and the birds in it. According to him, seven of the world's 17 species of stork are found here, the most numerous and eye-catching being the painted stork, a large, long-legged, long-necked bird, rather ungainly on land but with an elegant soaring flight. It is predominantly white with black and white wings, earning the description 'painted' from the oddly contrasting pink patches on its back, orangy-pink head and legs and paler yellowy-pink bill.


¤ Attractions of Siberian Crane

Four species of crane visit Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, including the famous Siberian crane, but the Sarus crane is resident. A large grey bird with a red head and nearly as tall as a man, the Sarus crane is much venerated as a symbol of marital bliss in India. Sarus cranes pair for life, and locals believe that if one dies, the other will die of a broken heart.
The Sarus courtship display is one of the most magnificent bird spectacles in the world. The couple bow, circle round each other with outspread wings, throw back their long necks, take great leaps into the air, all the while uttering their far reaching, trumpeting call.


¤ Other Aerial Attractions

Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary is the permanent home of four species of eagles: the Pallas fishing eagle, the short-toed eagle, the tawny eagle and the lesser spotted eagle. It is also the winter home of five other eagle species, including the crested serpent eagle, a local migrant that comes to feast on the countless snakes that breed in the wetland. Other winter visitors include the Bonelli's hawk eagle, the imperial eagle and the greater spotted eagle. Even the white-tailed sea eagle has occasionally visited Bharatpur.
"Dusk in Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary is owl time." The most spectacular of Bharatpur's eight species is the Indian eagle owl or great horned owl, but dusky horned owls, mottled wood owls, spotted owlets and collared scope owls are found in the woodlands near water's edge.

Manas National Park - A World Heritage Site

About 176 kilometres from Guwahati, the world heritage site, Manas National Park lies just in between Kaziranga and Jaldapada. Make a trip to Manas National Park - a world heritage site, one of those few places that has the ability to hold a visitor spellbound, the main reason being the 540sq km of diverse topography and rich flora and fauna.
The lifeline of the Park, Manas River forms a natural boundary between India and the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. In the lower stretches of the river basin, small clusters of trees dot vast stretches of sand.

This kind of topography is home to small herds of wild buffaloes and fishing birds that fly screeching over the river in search of prey. Move a little away from the bank and you will enter a thick jungle of broad-leaved trees, where even sunlight fails to make its way to the ground. On the other side of the jungle, majestic herds of elephants wade through swamps and tall elephant grass (although in comparison to the other National Parks, it is very difficult to spot the elephants here). There are nullahs, or streams, hillocks; almost everything that you would wish to see in a Manas National Park situated in the foothills of the Himalayas.Just make a holiday trip to Manas National Park

Manas National Park enjoys a very special status in terms of wildlife in the sub continent for two reasons: it has a much longer visiting season and it is home to twenty-two of the sub-continent’s fifty-four endangered species. Some like the hispid hare and pigmy hog are found only here. Yet, unlike in Kaziranga, where sightings are very common because of open spaces and swamps, in Manas a visitor may not come across too many animals. By taking up a holiday trip to Manas national park to sight the wild at such close quarters that often the visitor is left spell bound.

Make a trip through the gravel road from Barpeta to Manas National Park during the wee hours of the morning or late in the evening. Drive past the Bansbari tea estate and as you enter the open grassland, look out for the extremely rare species of the hispid hare. This is an elusive rabbit-like animal, about 47 centimetres in length. The back and the tail are dark brown and the breast is whitish in colour. After a sharp turn, you might find an extremely alert pair staring directly into the headlights of your jeep.

Another species that deserves a special mention is the golden langur. This beautiful animal is 48 to 50 centimetres in length and the tail adds another 75 centimetres to it. The colour of its coat changes with each season. During winters, when the body needs to absorb more heat, the colour of the coat is light golden or deep yellow. It gradually changes to off-white as the hot summer months are round the corner. The face, however, remains black all through the year.

For those interested in big mammals, Manas National Park has a deep pocket. It has a considerable population of rhinos (although much less in numbers than in Kaziranga), elephants, wild buffaloes, gaurs, swamp deer, sambar, hog deer and barking deer. Besides these animals, cats form a sizeable group in the Park. Going by the last count, there were 80 tigers, clouded leopards and golden cats. Inspite of such a large number of tigers, sightings are very difficult and sometimes possible due to sheer happenstance.

Wild Buffaloes make an interesting subject for photography, but take care while shooting, as the animal is quite weary and can attack without any provocation. In fact, wild buffaloes are known to drive even tigers away.

Another major attraction at Manas National Park is its bird population. Visitors can see giant hornbills gliding over their heads. The giant hornbill shares its habitat with two of its smaller cousins – the pied hornbill and the grey hornbill. All kinds of herons and egrets can be seen near the water bodies. Birds of prey such as eagles, falcons and harriers are also a common sight.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

The 300 square miles of Sariska Tiger Reserve is one of the last sizable remnants of the dry hilly country which once stretched across the length of the Aravalli hills. This hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Alwar was declared a sanctuary in 1955, and when Project Tiger was born in 1979, Sariska Sanctuary was merged into it. Sariska Tiger Reserve has been through immense pressure due to poaching, mining activities in the area as mentioned above and also due to sheer neglect by government authorities.

The forest vegetation has degraded, the wild life is vanishing and the water sources are drying away. It was felt by many that the richness of the forest was lost forever and it was declared a lost battle. It was then that the villagers around the reserve who depended on the same ecosystem that nurtured the wildlife took upon themselves the task of reviving the forest.


¤ Flora & Fauna

Sariska Tiger Reserve forest is dry deciduous, represented by dhok (Anogeissus pendula), khair (Acacia catechu), tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) and ber (Zizyphus maudrentiana). It remains lush green during the monsoon period and dry in summer.


¤ Tiger Population In The Sariska Tiger Reserve

Today the tiger population in Sariska is around 25 (as per government census of 1995). That's not much, but it's also not bad considering the fact that tiger population is shrinking everywhere. The best time to spot tigers is in summer, when they move to waterholes and there's not much foliage to camouflage their stripes. In Sariska, these waterholes have been constructed by the Forest Department quite near the roads on which tourist vehicles ply. Animals have got so used to prying human eyes that they sometimes completely ignore human presence (not that their attention is desired!). Sometimes tigers can be sighted even lounging around the roads.


¤ Other Wildlife Attractions

The other cats living in Sariska Tiger Reserve are panthers, jungle cat, caracals (a reddish-brown wildcat with black tipped ears) and the rusty spotted cat. Nilgai (large Indian antelope; blue bull), cheetal (spotted deer), sambar (large Asiatic deer), wild boars, chinkara (Indian gazelle), jackal, chowsingha (four-horned antelopes), ratel (honey badgers) and porcupine are easily spotted. Hundreds of peafowl congregate everyday by the waterhole called the Kalighati. The other one is the Salupka waterhole, which is the clubhouse of nilgai. Chowsinghas gather around the Pandu Pol Nallah. But, of course, patience is the keyword.


¤ Reptiles

Another attraction within Sariska Tiger Reserve is the crocodile inhabited Siliserh Lake on the edge of this tiger reserve (see Siliserh for more). Sariska is also famous for its population of langur (any of the genus Presbytis) and rhesus monkeys. Talvriksh, a grove of Arjun trees, is the hub of these monkeys and you can see hundreds of them at a time. But don't irritate them, for then you'll be inviting real trouble.


Sariska nationl park has a rich and colourful birdlife too. This includes the grey partridge, quail, sandgrouse (a pigeon-like bird), golden-backed woodpecker, Great Indian horned owl and white-breasted kingfisher. Come evening, and they call out in unison, making a terrible bedlam. The open dry deciduous forest of Sariska Tiger Reserve with its rich population of wildlife is a marvel of ecological adaptation and tolerance. The most favourable time to visit the park is between November and March, but if you can take the heat be here in April-May which is the best time to sight wild animals (in search of water).