The vast size of India and different
climatic conditions has resulted into a wealth of more than 80 National
Parks and 441 plus wildlife sanctuaries. Many of the present wildlife
sanctuaries and national parks were private hunting reserves of the
erstwhile Indian aristocracy. Though the National parks and wildlife
sanctuaries are home to a large number of wildlife but individual parks
and sanctuaries are better known for a particular animal/species. Thus,
Gir national park (Gujarat) is famous for its Asiatic lions, the Indian
rhinoceros is the pride of Kaziranga (Assam) and elephants steal the
show in Periyar (Kerala) whereas tigers are synonymous with Kanha
(Madhya Pradesh) and Bandavgarh (Madhya Pradesh). The mangrove forests
of Sunderbans National park are the unique habitat of the Royal Bengal
Tiger.
The National parks and wildlife sanctuaries, spread across all parts of
India, are thus a living museum of nature's creations with a variety of
animals, plants, landscapes and rock formations. For a wildlife
enthusiast India is a place to be in as the country offers diverse flora
and fauna, which is hardly found together in any other part of the
world. With over 15,000 species of plants, 500 species of reptiles and
amphibians, 2000 species and sub-species of birds, some 30,000 insect
species, about 410 species of mammals India is definitely a wildlife
lover's paradise. Here, it is important to note that spotting of wild
animals depends greatly on their habit and distinct daily and seasonal
patterns of activity. The frequency of wildlife sightings in national
parks and wildlife sanctuaries varies depending on the time of the year.
