Jaisamand Sanctuary

The sanctuary is an expanse of dense woodland over a great area of 52 sq km. The leopard, hyena, jungle cat, fox and wolf include the predators of the sanctuary. Additional abundant animals here comprise sambar, chital, langur and chinkara. The Jaisamand Lake is the humble home of crocodiles, turtles and an amazing diversity of fish. Numerous living types of earthly and water-birds can also be seen here.

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary covers 578 sq km (223 sq miles) of the Aravalli Hills, west of the fort, on the leeward side. Panther, flying squirrel, wolf and many bird species can be seen here. The Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary will come as a surprise to those who see Rajasthan only as a desert state. These green tracts form the dividing line between the former states of Mewar and Marwar. Once the hunting grounds of royals, this area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1971. The diverse topography of the sanctuary adds to its charms. In its eastern part are ranges that loom over 3,478 ft, as well as the source of the River Banas. The Marwar plains are to the north-west of the sanctuary. The rainwater on the western slopes flows as small rivers such as Sukdi, Mithdi, Sumer and Kot, all of which are the tributaries of River Luni that ultimately merges into the Arabian Sea. The sanctuary is known to be home to chausinghas (four-horned antelopes), leopards, panthers and sloth bears .

Tal Chhapar Sanctuary

Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the borders of Thar Desert. The word 'Tal' appropriately means open and flat land. Extending out over an area of 1334 sq km, a humble house to an amazing diversity of wild birds, the Tal c is extensively famous for Black Bucks. The Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary more often than not remains enclosed by green lawns; trees are seen rarely in this large area .

Keoledeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary

A UNESCO World Heritage Site regarded as one of the world's most important bird sanctuaries, Keoladeo Ghana derives its name from Shiva temple (Keoladeo) within a dense forest (Ghana). This once-arid scrubland was first developed by Bharatpur's rulers in the mid-18th century by diverting the waters of a nearby irrigation canals to create a private duck reserve. Extravagant shooting for British viceroys and other royal guests were held here, and horrifying numbers of birds were shot in a single day. Today, the park spreads over 29 sq km (11 sq miles) of wetlands, and attracts a wide variety of migrant and water birds that fly in each winter from places as distant as Siberia. Keoladeo's dry area has mixed deciduous and scrub vegetation and is home to many animals, including the famed nilgai.

Sariska National Park, Alwar

The Sariska Tiger Reserve is situated in the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan and is one of the important national parks in Rajasthan. It was the hunting grounds of the State of Alwar. The sanctuary was declared as a Wildlife Reserve in 1955 and was brought under the Project Tiger scheme in 1978.

The vegetation in the Sariska Tiger Reserve comprises of dry deciduous forests, scrub thorn and grasses. The park is spread over 866 square kilometres and is situated at a distance of 107 km from Jaipur and 200 km from Delhi. The Sariska Tiger Reserve is a part of the Aravalli Range and is rich in minerals such as copper.

The most attractive feature of the Sariska Tiger Reserve is its population of Royal Bengal Tigers. It is home to a large number of wild animals including Rhesus monkeys, Hanuman langurs, hares, wild boars, chousingha or the four horned antelope, chinkara, nilgai, sambhar, golden jackals, striped hyenas, caracal, jungle cats and leopards.

It also has a significant number of bird species such as the Great Indian Horned Owl, crested serpent eagle, golden backed woodpecker, tree pie, sand grouse, bush quail, grey partridge, peafowl, and more. The reserve also boasts of some great historical sites such as the Kankanwadi Fort, the Pandupol Hills, the Hanuman Temple on the Pandupol Hill, among others.

The Sariska Tiger Sanctuary is also the first ever Tiger Reserve in the country where tiger relocation and rehabilitation has been carried out successfully. The declining number of tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve was confirmed in a report by a leading journalist in 2005.

The reporter in his story claimed that there were no tigers left in the reserve. This led to a series of investigations by the authorities and on learning that the report was indeed true, efforts were made to relocate tigers. Three tigers were reintroduced into the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The number has now grown to a total of seven with five adults.

Visit time

1st October to 30th June

8:00 AM to 6:30 PM

Type of Wildlife Safari : Jeep

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK

Ranthambore National Park is full of history, having witnessed many battles played out on its land, and the rise and fall of many rulers. The chances of spotting a tiger in the wild at Ranthambore are amongst the best in India. In contrast with many national parks in India, Ranthambore is also really accessible and easy to get to. The landscape is dominated by the formidable 10th century Ranthambore Fort. It's a huge structure that contains ruined pavilions, splendid monuments, and three Hindu temples. Warning: Ranthambore is facing a lot of tourist pressure and safaris are not well managed.