Ranthambhor National Park, Rajasthan

Ranthambore encompasses nearly 392 sq km of dry deciduous keoladeo national park, Bharatpur bird sanctuary forest in south western Rajasthan and, in the heart of this forest, the Aravali and Vindhya ranges meet. The Park, consisting of numerous valleys and flat-topped hills, is set between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The terrain is rugged and there are rocky ridges, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools. The river Banas, and its tributary Kandoli, flow through it. Ranthambore's royal past manifests itself in the picturesque ruins that dot the Park. There are lake palaces, chhatris, old fortifications and a majestic thousand year old fortifications and a majestic thousand year old fort on a height overlooking the Park. The forest rest house at the foot of the Ranthambore fort is located in the lovely Jogi Mahal. It overlooks a tank the pretty Padam Talao, afloat with water lilies. The landscape is dotted with ancient banyan trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts. The terrain is made up of massive rock formations, steep scarps, perennial lakes and streams and forest suddenly opening up into large areas of savannah. The forest is in fact of a typical tropical dry deciduous variety and the main trees are kardhas (Anogeissus pendula), palas, khair, ebony, ber and others. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles (including the marsh crocodile) & amphibians and 30 mammals.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

Sariska Tiger Reserve lies in the Alwar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a prime tiger country. The forest is typical dry deciduous, dramatically changing with the change in season. The terrain is undulating plateaux and wide valleys. Besides tiger, herbivores like spotted deer, Sambar and Nilgai are commonly seen and found in a good density at Sariska.

Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary

Kumbhalgarh is just 90 km from Jodhpur on the Pali-Udaipur road. This jungle adjoins the historical Kumbhalgarh Fort and used to shield the fort from invaders. Now it protects the rare species of animals, struggling for their survival. Situated in the lush green region of Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh is the only sanctuary of Rajasthan, where activities of the rarely found wolf can be seen. More than forty wolves inhabit the Joba area of the sanctuary. During summer, when water becomes scarce, pack of wolves roaming around water holes is a common sight.

Desert National Sanctuary, Jaisalmer

Desert National Sanctuary holds a very important place in the state of Rajasthan mainly because it houses many wildlife creatures like desert cat, fox, hare, spiny tail, imperial sand grouse, Indian bustards, falcons and sand fish which are rare in other wildlife zoos. The desert animals which would be difficult to trace in other areas are a plenty in this region. The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar desert and its diverse fauna. Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes which are quite suitable for the chinkara to move at high speed. The blackbuck is another common antelope of this region. Its other notable inhabitants are the desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf and desert cat. Sudashri forest post is the ideal place for observing the wildlife of Desert National Park and is the most suitable in the entire 3162 sq km of this park for watching and photographing the activities of the animals from behind cover.