Tourism industry in India has flourished over the years and travelers from all over the World visits the nation to get a glimpse of the rich and affluent natural beauty. The rich biodiversity that the nation displays magnetizes a horde of tourists from all parts of the globe. Owing to the varied geography and climatic conditions, India is a home to several endangered species of flora and fauna. For conservation of these species there are about 500 wildlife sanctuaries among which more than 80 have attained the distinction of National Parks. These national parks are abode of several animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, which attracts the travelers from different parts of the orb, contributing to the economic growth of Tourism Industry of India. Some of the most renowned national parks of India are travel destinations for Tourists are listed below.
Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Jim Corbett National Park is one of the first National Parks of India, which was established in the year 1936 by the name of Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Royal Bengal tigers. Later it was named as Jim Corbett National Park after the name of Jim Corbett, a famous British hunter, who took the initiative in establishment of this park. Covering an area of 521 sq. km, this national park is an abode of 586 species of migratory and other birds, 33 species of reptiles, 36 species of dragonflies and 7 species of fish and amphibians, respectively. A wide variety of mammals are as well found in this park, which include elephants, jungle cat, fishing cat, leopard, barking deer, sambar deer, hog deer, chital, Sloth, Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolins, and langur and Rhesus macaques. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and situated in the state of Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.
Pench National Park , Madhya Pradesh
Nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda hills is named after Pench River, meandering through the park from north to south. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Maharashtra, in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. Pench National Park, comprising of 758 SQ Kms, out of which a core area of 299 sq km of Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and remaining 464 sq km of pench national park is the buffer area. Covered with the southern topical dry deciduous forest, Pench National Park comes under the Project Tiger for conservation of tigers. Panther, gaur, tiger, sambar, chital, barking deer, blue bull, macaque, langoor, wild boar, bear, wild dogs and civet cat are some of the animal species found this National Park.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
The largest National Park in India, Ranthambore National Park is situated in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan. Being considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers in this destination. Spread over an area of 392 sq km, this National Park features dry deciduous forests and open grassy meadow. About 539 species of flowering plants are found in this National park besides tigers and other animal species. This National Park gained popularity for the Project Tiger network, that was started for conservation and breeding of Royal Bengal Tigers. Tiger Safari is one of the major attractions of the Ranthambore National Park.
Kaziranga National Park , Assam
A World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, Kaziranga National Park is one of the prime attractions of Assam. Sprawlin over an area of 430 Sq kms along the river Brahmaputra on the North and the Karbi Anglong hills on the South, this National Park is famous all over the World for having the maximum numbers of one-horned rhinoceros. It is one of the significant natural habitats for conservation of biological biodiversity. Indian Elephants, Indian Bison, Swamp Deer or Barasingha, Hog Deer, Sloth Bears, Tigers, Leopard Cats, Jungle Cats, Otters, Hog Badgers, Capped Langurs, Hoolock Gibbons, Wild Boar, Jackal, Wild Buffalo, Pythons, Monitor Lizards, etc are among the wildlife found in this park. It is also an abode of migratory birds and avian species such as Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pallas's Fishing Eagle, White Tailed Eagle, Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle and Himalayan Griffon.
Kanha National Park , Madhya Pradesh
Spread over an area of 940 sq km, Kanha National Park is one of the top most National Parks of India. Situated in the State of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger. This park is an Arcadia for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. The National park is famous across the World for being the home to Barasingha, the swamp deer, which is considered to be 'the jewel of Kanha'. Tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, and leopard are some of the animals that are sighted here. Apart from this, the park also is a home to different species of birds, which include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers.
Sunderbans National Park , West Bengal
Situated amidst mangrove forest, Sunderbans National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering an area of 4264 sq.km. It is located in the Sunderban Delta of West Bengal, which is the world's largest delta formed by the mighty rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. This national park is India’s largest Tiger Reserve and is a heaven for bird watchers. Jungle Cats, Fishing Cats, Axis Deer, Wild Boar, Rhesus Monkeys, Mongooses and the largest Estuarine Crocodiles in the world are found in this National Park. Heron, Egret, Cormorant, Fishing Engle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Seagul, Tern, Kingfisher as well as migratory birds like Whimprel, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Stint, Eastern Knot, Curlew, Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Pintail, White-eyed Pochard, Whistling teal, Olive Ridley sea turtle, hardshelled Batgur Terrapin, Pythons, King Cobra, Chequered Killback, Monitor and Lizards including the Salvator Lizards are some of the reptiles and avian species found in Sunderbans National Park.
Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim
Khangchendzonga National Park, also known as Khangchendzonga National Park is situated in the North-Eastern state of Sikkim. Covering an area of 2192 sq.km., Khangchendzonga National Park is one of the very few National Parks of India situated at a high altitude of 1829 m above the sea level. musk deer, snow leopard, Himalayan Tahr, wild dog, sloth bear, civet, Himalayan black bear, red panda, Tibetan wild ass, Himalayan blue sheep, serow, goral, takin, rat snake and Russell's viper are found in this National Park. The park also offers opportunities for trekking, which makes it one of the loved destinations for adventure enthusiasts. The best time to visit this National Park is from March to mid-June and from September to November.
Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Jim Corbett National Park is one of the first National Parks of India, which was established in the year 1936 by the name of Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Royal Bengal tigers. Later it was named as Jim Corbett National Park after the name of Jim Corbett, a famous British hunter, who took the initiative in establishment of this park. Covering an area of 521 sq. km, this national park is an abode of 586 species of migratory and other birds, 33 species of reptiles, 36 species of dragonflies and 7 species of fish and amphibians, respectively. A wide variety of mammals are as well found in this park, which include elephants, jungle cat, fishing cat, leopard, barking deer, sambar deer, hog deer, chital, Sloth, Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolins, and langur and Rhesus macaques. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and situated in the state of Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.
Pench National Park , Madhya Pradesh
Nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda hills is named after Pench River, meandering through the park from north to south. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Maharashtra, in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. Pench National Park, comprising of 758 SQ Kms, out of which a core area of 299 sq km of Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and remaining 464 sq km of pench national park is the buffer area. Covered with the southern topical dry deciduous forest, Pench National Park comes under the Project Tiger for conservation of tigers. Panther, gaur, tiger, sambar, chital, barking deer, blue bull, macaque, langoor, wild boar, bear, wild dogs and civet cat are some of the animal species found this National Park.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
The largest National Park in India, Ranthambore National Park is situated in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan. Being considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers in this destination. Spread over an area of 392 sq km, this National Park features dry deciduous forests and open grassy meadow. About 539 species of flowering plants are found in this National park besides tigers and other animal species. This National Park gained popularity for the Project Tiger network, that was started for conservation and breeding of Royal Bengal Tigers. Tiger Safari is one of the major attractions of the Ranthambore National Park.
Kaziranga National Park , Assam
A World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, Kaziranga National Park is one of the prime attractions of Assam. Sprawlin over an area of 430 Sq kms along the river Brahmaputra on the North and the Karbi Anglong hills on the South, this National Park is famous all over the World for having the maximum numbers of one-horned rhinoceros. It is one of the significant natural habitats for conservation of biological biodiversity. Indian Elephants, Indian Bison, Swamp Deer or Barasingha, Hog Deer, Sloth Bears, Tigers, Leopard Cats, Jungle Cats, Otters, Hog Badgers, Capped Langurs, Hoolock Gibbons, Wild Boar, Jackal, Wild Buffalo, Pythons, Monitor Lizards, etc are among the wildlife found in this park. It is also an abode of migratory birds and avian species such as Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pallas's Fishing Eagle, White Tailed Eagle, Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle and Himalayan Griffon.
Kanha National Park , Madhya Pradesh
Spread over an area of 940 sq km, Kanha National Park is one of the top most National Parks of India. Situated in the State of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger. This park is an Arcadia for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. The National park is famous across the World for being the home to Barasingha, the swamp deer, which is considered to be 'the jewel of Kanha'. Tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, and leopard are some of the animals that are sighted here. Apart from this, the park also is a home to different species of birds, which include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers.
Sunderbans National Park , West Bengal
Situated amidst mangrove forest, Sunderbans National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering an area of 4264 sq.km. It is located in the Sunderban Delta of West Bengal, which is the world's largest delta formed by the mighty rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. This national park is India’s largest Tiger Reserve and is a heaven for bird watchers. Jungle Cats, Fishing Cats, Axis Deer, Wild Boar, Rhesus Monkeys, Mongooses and the largest Estuarine Crocodiles in the world are found in this National Park. Heron, Egret, Cormorant, Fishing Engle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Seagul, Tern, Kingfisher as well as migratory birds like Whimprel, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Stint, Eastern Knot, Curlew, Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Pintail, White-eyed Pochard, Whistling teal, Olive Ridley sea turtle, hardshelled Batgur Terrapin, Pythons, King Cobra, Chequered Killback, Monitor and Lizards including the Salvator Lizards are some of the reptiles and avian species found in Sunderbans National Park.
Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim
Khangchendzonga National Park, also known as Khangchendzonga National Park is situated in the North-Eastern state of Sikkim. Covering an area of 2192 sq.km., Khangchendzonga National Park is one of the very few National Parks of India situated at a high altitude of 1829 m above the sea level. musk deer, snow leopard, Himalayan Tahr, wild dog, sloth bear, civet, Himalayan black bear, red panda, Tibetan wild ass, Himalayan blue sheep, serow, goral, takin, rat snake and Russell's viper are found in this National Park. The park also offers opportunities for trekking, which makes it one of the loved destinations for adventure enthusiasts. The best time to visit this National Park is from March to mid-June and from September to November.