Think safari, and many people think Africa. But despite its dense population India hosts an array of wildlife that is almost as impressive Africa’s. And of course, it is home to that enigmatic animal: the tiger. India has plenty of wildlife parks to explore, as well as some vast rural areas and still has plenty of wilderness to explore. If you want to see the best of Asian wildlife, take an India safari trip.
India is one of the world’s largest countries. The sub-continent moves from wild mountains in the far north, through deserts and plains, to deep jungle and tropical wetlands. It has a huge range of habitats, home to a huge range of animals and birds.
If you want to see the tiger, now is the time to do it. Sadly, this majestic species is fast dying out in the wild, with poaching having reduced their numbers to fewer than 2000. Many of those that remain are in the country’s tiger reserves, such as the Bandavgarh Tiger Park in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. As well as tigers, expect to see various types of monkeys, water buffalo, elephants, leopards, and wolves.
If you want real wilderness, travel north to the Himalayan region. Ladakh is a wild, mountain state in the far north, home to some unusual wildlife. It is the only place in the world that is home to wild yak, but they are rarely spotted. The snow leopard is almost as close to extinction as the tiger, but can still sometimes be seen in Ladakh. There are also musk deer, ibex, marmot and huge numbers of birds.
India’s rich cultural history tends to take the attention of most travellers. But its wildlife is equally fascinating. Take an India safari and let the animals take centre stage.
