National Parks in India

The National parks of India are IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource) protected areas. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species. Further federal legislation strengthening protections for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s. As of April 2007, there were 96 national parks. All national park lands then encompassed a total 38,029.18 km2 (14,683.15 sq mi) km, comprising 1.16% of India's total surface area.

Animal Sanctuary
India has over 441 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries (IUCN Category IV Protected Area). Among these, the 28 Tiger Reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance in the conservation of the tiger. Some wildlife sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuary, eg. Keoladeo National Park before attained National Park status. Many National Parks were initially Wildlife Sanctuaries. Wildlife sanctuaries of national importance to conservation, usually due to some flagship faunal species, are named National Wildlife Sanctuary, like National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary for conserving the Gharial (1978)

Difference Between National Park and Wild Life Sanctuary

NATIONAL PARK: A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. National parks are protected areas of IUCN category II. WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: A Wildlife Sanctuary is a reservation where animals or birds are sheltered for breeding purposes and may not be hunted or trapped A National Park can be, but is not always a Wildlife Sanctuary and is government owned and operated. A Wildlife Sanctuary can be privately owned. Both the Zoo and an animal sanctuary give protective asylum to animals and birds. However, the zoo keeps animals in captivity, within artificially created habitat, whereas the sanctuary provides home to animals in their natural habitat without captivity.

Proposed Park In India

Several new national parks have been proposed by State Governments in India, and are pending an approval, after which they will be commissioned, and demarcated. Important national parks which have already been commissioned include : Qazinag National Park -in the Baramulla district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir

National Park In Madhya Pradesh

Wildlife Sanctuaries In Madhya Pradesh

Kanha National Park

About Kanha National Park Area : 1,945 sq km Altitude : 600-900 m above sea level Situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque Kanha National Park was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The park was created in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of animal species. Many endangered species have indeed been saved here. The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, more pictures.... 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, tiger, and leopard. The birds species in the park 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.

Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km of topography varies between steep ridges, undulating, forest and open meadows. Bandhavgarh National Park is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgar There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. Common Langurs and Rhesus Macaque represent the primate group. Carnivores include the Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard and Tiger. The artiodactyls frequently sighted are Wild Pigs, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Chausingha, Nilgai, Chinkara and Gaur. Mammals such as Dhole, the smallIndian Civet, Palm Squirrel and Lesser Bandicoot Rat are seen occasionally. Among the herbivores, Gaur is the only coarse feeder h is the highest known in India. Total Coverage Area: 437 sq. kms / 44,884 hectares/ 168 sq. miles

Established:
Extended

1968
In:

as
Extended

National
in

Park.
1986.

Became A Tiger Reserve: In 1993 .

Panna National park

Location: Chattarpur, Madhya Pradesh, India Area covered: 543 sq. km. Main Wildlife Found: Tiger, Wolf, Chital, Sloth Bear, Chinkara, Sambar Panna National park is just 25 km from Khajuraho-a mere half an hour drive. It is extended over an area of 543 Sqkm along the banks of river Ken, the parks topography is a magnificent one of deep gorges, During the monsoons, th Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), the king of the jungle, roams freely in this secure, though a bit small habitat along with its fellow beings - leopard (Panthera pardus), wild dog (Cuon alpinus), wolf (Canis lupus), hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), caracal (Felus caracal) and other smaller cats. Sloth bear has its most favourite home in the rock escarpments and undisturbed vales. The wooded areas are dotted with sambar, the largest of Indian deers, chital and chowsingha. One can easily see nilgai and chinkara in most open areas in the grasslands, specially on the periphery. e park is a lush green haven with cascading waterfalls. The avifauna comprises more than 200 species, including a host of migratory birds. One can see white necked stork, bareheaded goose, honey Buuzzard, King vulture, Blossom headed Parakeet, Paradise flycatcher, to name a few. Variety of snakes, including the python and other reptiles are found here.

Madhav National Park

Location : Madhya Pradesh Coverage area: 156 sq km Main attraction : Tiger, Blackbucks, Langoor Madhav National Park is situated in Shivpuri District of Gwalior region in northwest Madhya Pradesh, India. It was established as the Shivpuri National Park in 1958 simultaneously with the creation of the State of Madhya Pradesh. It now enjoys further protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The predominant species that inhabits the park is the deer, of which the most easily sighted are the graceful little Chinkara, the Indian gazelle, and the Chital. Other species that have their habitat in the park are Nilgai, Sambar, Chausingha or four-horned Antelope, Blackbuck, Sloth Bear, Leopard and the ubiquitous common Langur. Tiger Panthera tigris (occasional), leopard Panthera pardus, striped Hyaena, jackal Canis aureus, jungle cat Felis chaus) chital Axis axis, sambar Cervus unicolor, nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, four-horned antelope (chowsingha) Tetracerus quadricornis, wild boar Sus scrofa, chinkara (mountain gazelle) Gazella, crocodile and others.

Pench National Park

Pench Tiger Reserve was created in 1992, becoming 19th Reserve in the ProjectTiger network. The core zone of the Reserve, Pench National Park was crated in 1983.This was carved oyt of the Pench Sanctuary crated in 1977 with an area of 449.39 sq.km. Though the Pench National Park is famous for its tigers, there are other wildlife attractions as well. The Wildlife attractions of Pench includes 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians and more than 210 varieties of birds. Leopard movements are in the periphery but sighting does take place in the core zone or the deep forest. Jungle cats are common while Leopard cat, small Indian civet and palm civet are rarely seen as they are nocturnal The area is especially famous for large herds of Gaur (Indian Bison, Sambar, Nilgai, Wilddog and Wild Pig. The key predator is the Tiger followed by Leopard, Wild Dog and Wolf. Other animals include Sloth bear, Chousingha, Chinkara, Barking deer, Jackal, Fox, Palm civet, Small Indian civet, Jungle cat, Hyena, Porcupine etc.

Pench
Here are over 285 species of resident and migratory birds including the Malabar Pied hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Grey-headed fishing eagle, White eyed buzzard etc. In winter thousands of migratory waterfowl including Brahmini duck, Pochards, barheaded geese, Coots, etc visit the tanks and the Pench reservoir within the park.

Pench tiger reserve is also among the best areas for bird watching. Four species of the now endangered vultures white-rumped, longbilled, white scavenger and king vulture can be seen in good numbers in the reserve. The other fauna present include 50 species of fishes, 10 amphibians, 20 reptiles, 45 butterflies, 54 Moths and numerous other insects.

Sanjay National Park

The Sanjay National Park also known as Borivali National Park is located in the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It it a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve. The park covers 466.7 km2. The national park is mostly composed of sal forests. The park was notified in 1974 Tiger, leopard, Spotted deer, sambar deer, wild boar, Neelgai, Chinkara, Civet, Procupine, Monitor Lizard, and three hundred nine species of birds. Most attractive birds are Golden Hooded Oriole, Racket-tailed drongos, Indian Pitta Rufus-Treepie, Lesser Adjutant, Red-headed vulture, cenereous vulture, Indian white-rumped vulture, Ezyption vulture, Nightjars and many other species. Sanjay Reserve was in undivided Madhya Pradesh. After Madhya Pradesh was divided in 2000, a large part of the then Sanjay National Park went to Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh government renamed this forest area, with an area of 1440 km2 falling under its jurisdiction, as Guru Ghasidas National Park.

Fossil National Park

National fossils park is situated in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh in India. This national park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago spread over seven villages of Mandla District (Ghuguwa, Umaria, Deorakhurd, Barbaspur, Chanti-hills, Chargaon and Deori Kohani). The Mandla Plant Fossils National Park is an area that spreads over 274,100 square metres. Such fossils are found in three other villages of the district also, but they lie outside the national park. The Ghughua Fossil National Park of Madhya Pradesh is a unique destination in India, which has been blessed with a priceless treasure trove of plant fossils. Fossils belonging to 31 genera of 18 plant families have been identified. These fossils represent life as it occurred in this area some 65 million years ago.

Satpura National Park

Park Location Hoshangabad District, Madhya Pradesh State, Central India (STD Code:0754 ) Year of Establishment 1981 Tiger Reserve Area 1427 Sq. Km. Prime Attractions Black Buck, Leopard, Wild Dogs, Indian Bison, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Crocodiles Bio-diversity of national park is stunning with over 1300 species of plants. Flora of national park includes teak, sal, tendu, mahua (Indian buttertree), bel (stone-apple), bamboos, grasses, bushes, unchecked grown lantanas and other many medicinal plants whose details are not available now. It is said that in majority of jungle we can judge that sal is the prominent flora of National Park.

Vanvihar National Park

Van Vihar National Park is a national park in India located a the heart of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Declared a national park in 1983, it covers an area of about 4.45 km. Although it has the status of a national park, Van Vihar is developed and managed as a modern zoological park, following the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. The animals are kept in their near natural habitat. The animals such as tiger, panther, lion, bear, hyena, crocodiles, alligators, python etc., are kept in captivity in a system of kraal and enclosures in lines of modern concept of zoo management as per the norms of Central Zoo Authority. All felids and hyenas are fed with buffalo meat, mutton and poultry. Bears are provided with milk, vegetables and fruits to make a balanced diet. Free ranging animals, such as cheetal, sambhar, blackbuck, blue bull etc. are unique features of Van Vihar. The wilderness of park offers an ideal habitat for a number of avian fauna. Till now about two hundred species of birds have been listed in different parts of Van Vihar. Large number of birds frequent this park, especially during winter the migratory waterfowl alight in great numbers in the adjoining extensive wetland of big lake. Park is also abode of variety of butterflies and insects.

Indian Tiger

Bengal Tiger
Zoological information: Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus species: Panthera (panther, leopard) tigris (tiger) Size: The size of a male tiger can range upto 3 m (10 ft.), female to 2.7 m (9 ft.) Weight: The weight of a male can be upto 225 kg (500 lb.), female to 135 kg (300 lb.); largest existing member of the cat family

Tiger
Description: The Bengal tiger has a magnificent appearance. The coat colour of this wildcat is reddish orange with narrow black, gray or brown stripes, generally in a vertical direction. The underside is creamy or white; a rare variant has a chalky white coat with darker stripes and icy blue eyes that will freeze you with fear! Life span: On an average Bengal tigers survive probably not more than 15 years in the wild; 16 to 18 years in captivation environments Sexual maturity: Females achieve sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years whereas males achieve the same at the age of 4 to 5 years. Gestation: 98 to 110 days; 2 to 4 cubs born Habitat: Bengal tigers dwell in tropical jungles, brush, marsh lands, and tall grasslands in fragmented areas of Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Burma. Diet: Bengal tigers hunt medium to large prey such as pigs, deer, antelopes, and buffalo

Tiger
Since tigers hunt mostly at dusk and dawn their stripes help them hide in the shadows of tall grasses. They stalk and pounce because they are not able to chase prey a long distance. - The territorial male tiger usually travels alone, marking his boundaries with urine, droppings, and scratch marks to warn off trespassers. - A tiger can consume as much as 40 kg (88 lb.) of meat in one feeding It is estimated that there are less than 3,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild. A tigers stripes are like fingerprints no two are alike. In fact the stripes pattern is often used to identify individual tigers in the wild.

Indian Peacock

Facts about Peacock

Kingdom: Animalia Species: Pavo cristatus (Indian Peafowl) and Pavo muticus (Green Peafowl) Length (without train): 35 to 50 inches (90 to 130 cm) Length (with train): 5 ft (1.5 m) Beak: 1 inch Weight: 4 to 6 kg (8.75 to 13 lbs) Diet: Omnivorous Natural Habitat: Asian countries Age: 20 years Age of Maturity: 8 to 10 months Gestation Period: 28 days Number of Eggs: 3 to 5

Peacock
Peacocks eat plant parts, flower petals, seed heads, insects and other arthropods, reptiles and amphibians. Indian Peacock is the national bird of India. Peacocks are polygamous by nature. In the wild, male Peacocks generally have a harem of 2 - 5 females. Peacocks have a significant need for companionship. Alone, they can get heartbroken. Only a peacock (male) has a colorful train. The main use of the beautiful train (tail) of peacock is to gain the attention of the peahen and get her to mate with him. The train of a peacock makes up more than 60 percent of his total length. A peacocks train can be arched into a splendid fan, which reaches across its back and touches the ground on either side. It is believed that a peahen choose its mates according to the size, color, and quality of their trains. Keeping in mind the combined length of a peacocks (male) train and its large wingspan, it is one of the largest flying birds. Every portion of a peacocks train changes color when it is struck by different angles of light. The chick of a peacock can walk, eat and drink on its own, even when it is hardly a day old. Peacocks fly into trees to protect themselves from predators as well as to rest from holding their trains off the ground. A family of peacocks is called a bevy, while a group of peacocks is known as a party. At night, peacocks prefer to roost in trees or other high places.