India is home to more than 100 National Parks with an immense variety of Flora and Fauna. Some of them are designated as UNESCO Heritage Sites also. Let’s discuss some of the prominent ones.
1. Jim Corbett National Park
Established in 1936, this is India’s first national park. It is named after the legendary naturalist and conservationist Jim Corbett. Located at the Himalayas’ foothills, near the popular hill-station of Nainital, the beautiful Jim Corbett National Park, is famous for being home to a large number of tigers, the highest among any Indian national park. Spread over 1318.54 sq km, of which 520 sq km is the main area, and the remaining is buffer; the park is spread over the picturesque landscapes of Pauri Garhwal, Almora, and Nainital. The jeep safari into the dense forest to see the wild animals in their natural habitat is a must-have experience. And if you are lucky, then you may get a chance to even spot a tiger. While on the jeep safari, enjoy the lush green forest’s views cut across by streams and rivers and a few waterfalls. There are accommodations available inside the park for night-stay as well, which offer you once-in-a-lifetime experience.
2. Great Himalayan National Park
This National Park in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial and snow meltwater sources of several rivers, and the catchments of water supplies that are vital to millions of downstream users. It is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and includes twenty-five forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. This gives the site outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation.
It is declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2014. There are several popular trekking routes in the park, ranging from those that can be done in a day or two, to mesmerizing Tirthan Valley, Jhibhi also known as Mini Thailand . Ecotourism and homestay tourism has also being gaining popularity in places near to the park.
3.Sasan Gir National Park
Gir National Park is the only place in the world outside Africa where a lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The Lions of Gir are a majestic animal, averaging 2.75 metres in length, and with a bigger tail tassle, bushier elbow tufs and prominent belly folds than his African cousin which has larger mane. Gir is a home to 40 species of mammals and 425 species of birds. Established by Nawab of Junagarh‘s private hunting area in 1965, with a total area of 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi), of which 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) is fully protected as a national park and 1,151.59 km2 (444.63 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion. The count of 2,375 distinct fauna species of Gir includes about 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and more than 2,000 species of insects. The carnivores group mainly comprises the Asiatic lion, Indian leopard, jungle cat, striped hyena, golden jackal, Bengal fox, Indian gray mongoose, ruddy mongoose, and honey badger. Asiatic wildcat and rusty-spotted cat occur, but are rarely seen.
The main herbivores of Gir are chital, nilgai, sambar, four-horned antelope, chinkara and wild boar. Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary. Among the smaller mammals, porcupine and hare are common, but the pangolin is rare. The Sasan Gir National Park is an esteemed wildlife destination in India which has attained an immense popularity among vivid travellers, wildlife lovers, photographers, nature enthusiasts, researchers and hunters. Being the only destination to spot the Asiatic Lions in India, it keeps on attracting large number of travellers from several parts of the world for its Wildlife Safaris.