Indian Wildlife Club Forum

Panna National Park, located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. Covering an area of 542.67 square kilometers, the park is home to a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna.

One of the main attractions of Panna National Park is its population of tigers. The park is known for its successful tiger conservation efforts, and is home to a healthy population of these majestic creatures. In addition to tigers, the park also has a significant population of leopards and other predators such as wolves and jackals.

The park is also home to a variety of herbivores, including deer, antelope, and wild boar. Birdwatchers will be in their element at Panna National Park, with over 200 species of birds found within the park's boundaries, including the critically endangered white-rumped vulture.

The park's terrain is a mixture of forests, grasslands, and wetlands, providing a diverse range of habitats for its many species. The Ken River flows through the park, adding to its beauty and providing a vital source of water for the park's inhabitants.

One of the highlights of a visit to Panna National Park is the beautiful Raneh Falls. Located on the Ken River, the falls are known for their stunning granite formations, which have been carved over time by the flow of the water.

In conclusion, Panna National Park is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in nature and wildlife. Its rich biodiversity, beautiful landscapes, and successful conservation efforts make it a unique and unforgettable experience.
See our video series on Panna National Park

https://youtu.be/FoMXZvbUIvY

The Desert National Park of Jaisalmer is located near the town of Jaisalmer and is one of the country’s largest, covering 3162 square kilometres. The park encompasses a vast territory that stretches from Jaisalmer/Barmer to the India-Pakistan border. The fascinating site has jagged rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial spaces, and fixed dunes, all of which are typical of a desert ecology. In reality, the dunes make up around 20% of the park.

The park redefines the dimensions of stereotypical changes shown by flora and animals in the Thar Desert because it is so close by.Thorny bushes, cacti, and a few desert vegetation cover the entire area. Ronj, palm trees, ber, milkweed plants, dhok, aak shrub, sewan grass and Khejri are also found in fair numbers. The Desert National Park also features a 180 million-year-old collection of animal and plant fossils. Dinosaur fossils dating back 60 million years have been discovered in the area.

Despite the fragile habitat, there is a plethora of birdlife to be found. The area provides a sanctuary for over 150 varieties of desert migratory and permanent birds. There are a lot of eagles, harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrels, and vultures here. The most frequent are short-toed eagles, tawny eagles, spotted eagles, laggar falcons, and kestrels. Sand grouse can be found near tiny lakes or ponds. The superb big Indian bustard, which is endangered, is found in relatively large numbers in the desert national park.

The Chinkara, also known as the Indian Gazelle (Gazella bennettii), is a popular antelope in this area. The desert fox, Bengal fox, hedgehog, wolf, and desert cat are among the park’s other prominent residents. Although not all, the Desert National Park is sure to have a few reptile species to show you. A few of the reptile species found here include the Monitor lizard, Spiny-tailed lizard, Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper, and common krait.

Get your binoculars and DSLR cameras ready if you are a die-hard fan of rare bird species. Don’t forget to raise your head high above the sky while strolling through the park. The amount of vultures soaring high above you will take your breath away.

Maximum 6 people are permitted in one jeep in Tadoba. Kids above 5 years of age are counted as an adult for a safari ride. Along with 6 tourists one jeep driver and guide/ naturalist goes for safari in Tadoba. Nature sprout assists in Online Tadoba safari booking to our guests.

Kaziranga National Park:

The most sought-after National park in the country is Kaziranga National Park. Kaziranga can be described as a place where nature can be seen at its most natural with a variety of colors. It's also the location where nature and man come together. The highly regarded nationwide park of India is situated in the northeast region of India. It is situated within the Nagaon district. Nagaon district in The Assam state. It is located in Assam. Let's take a look back at 1904, the year in which this incredible refuge for animals was established. The park was declared as a National Park a little over the 68-year mark.

History Of Kaziranga National Park:

It is vital to know that the park has two-thirds of the threatened Indian rhinoceros with one horn. As of 2015, the population of rhinos in the park reached 2401. In 2006 the park was designated as a critically endangered Tiger reserve. This means that it has the highest concentration of tigers anywhere on earth. This park hosts huge numbers of elephants as well as wild water buffaloes, as well as swamp deer. Kaziranga will be a forest reserve and wildlife sanctuary from 1908 until 1950. Birdlife International Society has designated Kaziranga Park as an important bird habitat due to the fact that it houses numerous species of birds migrating as well as resident species. The sanctuary is located along the banks of the river Brahmaputra and hosts four types of plants. There's a mix of deciduous and humid, and semi-evergreen tropical forests that have tall grasses that measure tall, open rainforest with 41 29, 29 with 11% of short grasses, and the rest is covered by rivers and water bodies. The park's incredible diversity of fauna and flora makes it more beautiful.

How to Access Kaziranga National Park:

Road -You are able to reach Kaziranga by getting to Guwahati Airport from where you are able to take taxis from Guwahati taxi to Kaziranga CabsThe main entrance to Kaziranga park is located in a small Kohora village. It is situated along the National Highway NH 37. It connects Kohora with the major Assam cities such as Guwahati and Tezpur. Or, via state transport buses, private-owned minibusses, and buses. Local transportation is also available to connect Kohora with other cities. Guwahati, Jorhat, and other cities are connected via roads, rails, and airways that connect all areas in the nation. You can visit them and then use a taxi or the public bus service to transport them to the national park.

By Air, The closest airfields near the park include Guwahati International Airport (97 km) and Jorhat Airport (217 km, 217 km, 217 km, 97 km). Both airports are well-maintained and have roads connecting both with parks. Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is the ideal alternative for travelers coming from anywhere in India or outside the country. You can hire taxis or cabs for straight access to the Park. You can also take the express bus (or privately-owned buses) to reach the park. This is cheaper than a taxi ride or a taxi.

With Train, The nearest railway station to Kaziranga's Kaziranga Park, Furkating, is about 75 kilometers away. There are many trains that connect the station to major railway stations like Guwahati as well as Kolkata, New Delhi, and many others. Tourists are also able to use nearby railway stations such as Guwahati Railway Station as well as Jorhat Railway Station located at approximately 90 km and 240 km. Two of the railway stations listed in the above list are Northeast railway's major stations. There is also the option to travel via roads to the park by hiring taxis cabs or bus services from the two railway stations.

Wildlife Safari at the Kaziranga National Park:

Kaziranga National Park is a highlight of most people's Kaziranga trip. There are plenty of things to do. You can explore the area by jeep safari, or in a modern SUV. Kaziranga National Park protects one of the largest threatened species of wildlife around the globe. It includes mammals, animals, and birds. There is the possibility of seeing an array of species in this region such as ones belonging to the Indian Rhinoceros and Indian Elephant, Wild Buffalo, Wild Boars, Sambar, Macaque as well as Indian Leopard, Black Bear and a range of different birds. This area is home to many species of birds that migrate, making it an ideal place to watch birds. Kaziranga National Park also houses the Tiger Reserve that is home to the endangered Great Bengal Tiger. The Park also provides the opportunity to ride on an elephant

Jim Corbett is a national park located near to Ramnagar town in Uttrakhand. It is one of the most popular national park in India when it comes to Tiger sighting, as there around more than 250 Tigers as per recent census of 2020. Tourists are allowed to opt for Morning/Evening jungle safaris inside the deep forest area and it is the only Tiger reserve in India which allows people to stay even inside the forest area at the government run forest rest houses.

Flora at the park

There are more than 450 types of species of plants have been recorded in the reserve. As per the reports around 65 to 70% of Corbett area is dominated by Sal forests. The famous zone Dhikala is well known for its vast Grassland area which is favourite spot of sighting the Elephant herds.

Fauna at the park

Corbett Tiger reserve is home to around 500 resident and migratory birds species, some famous ones are Serpent Eagle, Red junglefowl, Parakeet, Kingfisher, Asian Paradise flycatcher etc. Royal Bengal Tiger is the king of the Jungle here and many other cat species can also be spotted i.e Leopard, jungle cat & fishing cat. The mammals include Elephants, Barking deer, Sambhar deer, Hog deer, Chital, Sloth and himalayan black bears, mongoose, fox and many more. Dhikala grassland is the famous area of the park to spot the herds of Elephants.

The park is to home to reptiles and famous species are India marsh Crocodile, Gharial, King Cobra, Python, Viper, monitor Lizard and Tortoise.

Safari zones in Jim Corbett

There are total 8 zones in Jim Corbett Tiger reserve as of now which are available to tourists for day safaris. These are Bijrani, Dhikala, Jhirna, Dhela, Garjia, Durga devi, Pakhro and Sonanadi. Except Pakhro and Sonanadi all other zones are close to Ramnagar and these 2 zones (Pakhro and Sonanadi) can be visited from Kotdwar near to Lansdowne.

Type of safaris and availability in various zones.

Dhikala– There are 2 types of safari options available at this zone. One is canter which is used for morning/evening safaris and available for all tourists as per the availablity, and second option is jeep safari which is available only for those tourists who make the booking at government run forest rest house.

Total– 4 canters are available for safaris in morning and in afternoon as well. Each canter has 16 seats so total 64 tourists can visit the park in morning and exact number of pax in afternoon.

12 years and above are considered as adults and full seat fare will be applicable for them. Children 6 to 11 years old can travel with adults at approx half of the adult cost. A maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one permit.

Dhikala day safaris are open for tourists from 15th November to 14th of June every year.

Bijrani– Only jeep safari option is available for tourists to visit the park. There are 30 jeeps in morning and 30 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open for toursits from 15th October to 30th June every year.

Jhirna– Jeep safari is the only option of visiting the park and there are 30 jeeps in morning and 30 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open through out year, however, forest department does not operate safaris on rainy days.

Dhela– Jeep safari is the only option of visiting the park. And, there are 15 jeeps in morning and 15 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open through out the year, however, government does not operate safaris on rainy days.

Durga devi– At this zone Jeep safari is the only option of visiting the park. And, there are 10 jeeps in morning and 10 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open for tourists from 15th October to 15th June every year.

Garjia– Only jeep safari option is available for tourists to visit the park. There are 30 jeeps in morning and 30 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open for toursits from 15th October to 30th June every year.

Pakhro– At this zone Jeep safari is the only option of visiting the park and there are 10 jeeps in morning and 10 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open for toursits from 15th October to 15th June every year.

Sonanadi– This zone Jeep safari is the only option of visiting the park and, there are 15 jeeps in morning and 15 jeeps in afternoon available for tourists. Maximum of 6 adults and 2 children (6 to 11 years old) can travel in one jeep. This zone is open for toursits from 15th October to 15th June every year.

Important points-
Jeep safari in Jim Corbett is not shared with other guests in any of the zone. One full jeep safari cost consists of Permit/Forest guide and gypsy hire cost.
Safari permits are non refundable and non amendable.
It is suggestible to book safari prior minimum 30 days of actual safari date in order to avoid non-availability.
During summer morning safaris start at 6:00 AM and last entry time can be upto 7:00 AM, and afternoon safaris start at 2:30 PM and last entry time can be upto 3:30 PM.
During winter morning safaris start at 7:00 AM and last entry time can be upto 7:45 AM, and afternoon safaris start at 1:30 PM and last entry time can be upto 2:30 PM.
Canter safari starts at 6:00 AM for morning shift and 12:30 PM for afternoon shift during summer.
Canter safari starts at 6:30 AM for morning shift and 12:00 PM for afternoon shift during winter
Suggestible to carry Binoculars. However, you can rent it out from the safari entry gate as well.
Always book safari prior to resort booking or make sure that sufficient gypsies are available as safari permit are always in high demand and might go sold out any time.
Jeep safari duration varies between 3 to 3 hours 30 minutes, where as, canter safari duration is 5 hours approximately.
Canter is a 16 seater mini bus (open from sides for view and covered from top).
Food, liquor, smoking not allowed inside the Tiger reserve.
ID proof is mandatory for booking and for the entry as well at the Tiger reserve. Pan card is acceptable.
Tourists can travel with infants as there is no restriction from the forest department for Jim corbett jeep safari.
Forest department does not allow pet inside the Tiger reserve during jungle safari.
During winter it is too cold inside the Tiger reserve, hence always carry gloves, enough sweaters/jackets etc.
There are plenty of private resorts available around the park, where as government run forest rest houses are inside the deep forest area. Suitable for wildlife lovers and photographers.
Canteen facility is available at Bijrani and Dhikala zone for tourists during day safaris.

We hope that you will find the above article about Jim corbett jeep safari informative and relevant. Please feel free to ask anything.

Thanks and Regards
Lokesh Kaushik
WFC Holidays

Forest guard Pazhaniswamy posted at Eravikulam National Park has been sending me interesting photos of the flora and fauna of Eravikulam National Park, Kerala.  As a guard accompanying tourists in the tourist bus which takes day tourists into the Park, Pazhani is in a position to observe the Park flora and fauna on a daily basis and he makes sure that his mobile clicks document the unusual visitors, seasonal flowers and other interesting tidbits.

Here is a sample of the photos he has been sending me.  Pazhani can be contacted at +918281931335

Fauna clicked by Pazhaniswamy

Chameleon

Green vine snake

Herd of Nilgiri Tahr

Malabar Pit Viper

Nilgiri tahr

Flora clicked by Pazhaniswamy

Can anyone give the names of these flora?