The geo-climatic diversity of the Indian sub-continent has nurtured and sheltered a whole range of wildlife with over 350 species of mammals and 1200 species of birds in the country. While there is an overlap in the habitats of many species, each region has something special too .Two of India's most impressive animals, the Bengal/Indian Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant are found in most regions. Both, the Tiger and a herd of Elephants in the wild are awesome sight ! Today, most of India's wildlife finds refuge in over two hundred sanctuaries and parks around the country. The following section lists brief descriptions of some of the more important ones in the South Of India.



Bandipur National Park : Once the Mysore Maharaja's private game reserve, this beautiful sanctuary located at the foothills of the Western Ghats is now one of the 15 selected across the country for Project Tiger by the World Wide Fund for Nature, to save the tiger. The lush forests offer a fabulous range of wildlife. It is part of a larger national park comprising of Mudumalai Wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Wynad in Kerala and forms the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Reserve boasts of a variety of birds and animals like the Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild boar, black naped hare, Indian porcupine and the elusive tiger. This park boasts of 66 tigers and over 1900 elephants. Covered with a mix of deciduous and evergreen forests this place is truly soothing.



Mudumalai Sanctuary : The situation of this game park amidst the hills adds significantly to the incredible natural beauty of the place. With an area of 321 sq. km in area the park shelters gaurs, deer, wild elephants, langurs and predators like tiger, leopard and the Asiatic wild dog (dhole). The dholes hunt in packs. The bird life includes the hornbills, the great black woodpecker with its red crest, mynahs, barbets, parakeets, tiny eared owl, scops owl and majestic birds like the crested hawk eagle and the crested serpent eagle.



Nagarhole National Park : The park with its evergreen vegetation lies to the north of the Kabini river and its scenic reservoir. The wildlife here include the gaurs, elephants, the sambar, chital and even an occasional tiger or leopard. Other inhabitants include the muntjac, the tiny mouse deer, giant squirrel, slender loris, wild boar, langurs and macaques. The park has a diverse bird life which include the Malabar trogan, the Malabar pied hornbill, the great black wood pecker, the Indian pitta and the green imperial pigeon. The jungle cat, leopard cat and the rusty spotted cat are the residents of the park.



The Thekkady Tiger Trail : Of Special mention here is our Tiger Trail Experience in Thekkady. Here, we try to bring to you a total wilderness experience from deep inside the forest. We observe the wildlife peculiar to the reserve as well as have a closer look and appreciation of their natural habitat. This is a very unique and enriching experience as we camp out deep in a tropical forest, which is a blend of tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests. It is also home to nearly 35 different species of mammals including elephants, bison, panthers and, most importantly, tigers. Besides rare animals, this forest is also home to 265 species of birds, many of them migratory. A survey also identified 112 species of butterflies in the forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. And Periyar is one of the last remaining reservoirs of the king of Indian fishes - the endangered Mahseer. Our guides will be people who were living off the forest resources in a negative way, which in the long run had caused damage to the fragile Eco system. Under a Government sponsored plan to wean them away from destruction of forest wealth and at the same time provide alternate means of employment, the Thekkady Tiger Trail was born, which is now acclaimed both within India s well as internationally. The main objective of the Thekkady Tiger Trail is conservation of rare and endangered species of plants and animals by creating an environmental consciousness among the participants. The Tours are programmed for a one/two night halt in the wilderness. Trek starts between 8.00 AM and 12 Noon on Day One and ends by noon on Day Two/ Day Three. The trekking distance would varies depending on the trail chosen as well as the needs and abilities of the trekker.