Wildlife watching in summers

Summer is a difficult time for one and all. The romantic Indian Summer carries lot of heat. The temperatures at noon could rise as much as 43 deg centigrade. though evenings get cooler but not as cool. 

Summer is the ending time for tiger safaris in India. though the parks in Central India or Madhya Pradesh close on 31st June the rain may close park safaris earlier. Hence peak time for Indian holiday makers is April, May and perhaps first week of June.  

Wilderness in Summers. 

Indian Wildlife is stressed out during summer heat since water availability is scarce and shade reduces due to deciduous trees shedding their leaves.  Wild animals and birds are forced to congregate near water holes, lakes, marshy grasslands and rivulets. The visibility of wildlife is very high and it is fun watching wildlife in tiger reserves and National Parks.   

Sometimes one can experience heightened activity in a grassland or a meadow....a tiger on hunts or a wild dog chase...anything. Tigers are often located easily near water holes and lakes especially at Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench National Park. 

Other wildlife sightings are also very good. Birding is much stress free due to thin canopies but the winter migrants have gone. This good time to study the resident birds in India.   

The flame of the forest and Amaltas color the landscape making summer flora attractive. The golden dry grass adds to the ambiance of the meadows. It is an enchanting experience. 

Wildlife Tourism

The hotel owners much hungry for business make merry with discounted packages since the crowd does not overflow by any means. Perhaps best safari experience is whence the  tourists are less....Sundays are out. Summer holiday makers give India tour operators a last bust of business before holiday season closes. Rains put a stop to it all and new season promotions begin. The resorts in tiger reserves come to rest and close down to wait in anticipation the next year. 

Summer safaris are exciting and offer good chance of sighting tigers, leopards, wild dogs and other mammals like deer, bison, wild elephants and sloth bears in MP. The noon heat is unbearable for those not staying in air conditioned cottages. Mornings are cool and evenings tolerable. 

Going in for wildlife safaris in summers? Don't think twice! 

Indian Wildlife

Documentation of Indian Natural history goes back to the Vedas. The growth of Indian natural history in the modern era is due to the keen interest shown by the British rulers. India with its diverse landscape, fauna, and flora caught the eye of the British naturalists many of whom were in administrative service while serving in India.

The Vedas are the earliest record that lists the names of 250 species of birds besides notes on various fauna and flora. The Vedas mention brood parasitism in Koel. The method of capture, taming and eventual training of wild elephants in India was documented in a text dated 2000 years back.

The fauna and flora of ancient India are represented in clay potteries and tablets excavated from ancient civilizations. The protection of animals and forest conservation was first recorded in the Mauryan period, especially during the period when Ashoka became a Buddhist and relinquished royal hunting.

Among Moghul rulers hunting and falconry were regularly practiced and the kings took a keen interest in the documentation of nature Jehangir and Babur being the foremost. The notes from hired scribes during the Moghul rule indicate the wide range of many animals which are now locally extinct in those areas.

During the British Raj, Indian Civil Services employed British naturalists many of whom studied Indian natural history out of curiosity while other collected wild species for naturalists and museums in Europe and Great Britain. Unfortunately, the destruction of forests and hunting went on a large scale by Indian princes and British royalties. As a result, the lion was reduced to a small pocket in Gujarat and the India Cheetah became extinct. The precarious state of the Indian tiger is a result of indiscriminate poaching and habitat destruction.

During the British rule and post-independence period Bombay Natural History Society has done commendable work on Indian natural history by studying and recording nature and wild animals in India. Society is engaged in productive activities and nature conservation as well.

India records around 1300 species of birds including sub-species while there are more than 300 mammalian species. The list of reptiles and insects including butterflies is also very impressive. Due to the influence of various zoo geographical zones Indian wildlife is unique.

Many wild species in India are threatened with extinction and wildlife itself survives in badly fragmented pockets. The tiger is one such case where the population has decreased to a few thousand from estimated forty thousand during the British Raj.

Most of the flora and fauna in India now survive in tiger reserves, Indian National Parks and sanctuaries scattered all over the country, and contiguous forest belts are rare and diminishing. For tourists wildlife safaris at the conservation areas, NPs, and tiger reserves are the best way to see the tiger and other Indian wild animals.

Most of the National Parks and wildlife resorts have tourism zones for tiger safaris and bird watching. These are popular for tiger sightings, wildlife photography, and watching wild animals like deer and lesser carnivores. The most popular reserves in India are Corbett National Park, Ranthambhore, Kaziranga, Manas, Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh also Pench in Central India.

Tiger Safaris in October

In the early days of tourism at Central Indian tiger reserves the park opened up in November for tiger safaris this offered much-needed rest and peace to wildlife and the park authorities had the time to re-establish road infrastructure etc.

All that has changed now. Tiger tourism is at its peak and the tourist rush is considerable. So the park now opens in October a month earlier than before. Why?

Well! Tourism. Yes!

And the hotels at National Parks wish to capitalize on tourist inflow to the optimum best. They managed to convince the park management that since the breeding season o most of the wildlife gets over by this time it is okay to commence tiger safaris earlier.

Since Kanha is the largest and most popular National Park the owners of wildlife resorts at Kanha are the most active in matters relating to park safaris and tourism.

In October the monsoon rains have come to an end and with their departure humidity and wetness have been replaced by sunny weather and a bit of comforting cold. Inside the park, the flora is at its optimum density, and visibility is limited to a few paces. Hence tiger trekking is difficult but nevertheless, tigers are seen albeit at higher odds. So a minimum three-night stay is advised to the tourists.

During October and early November, the parks are at their picturesque best attired in green all over. This is the time when the weather too is at its best. So it is a happy time for tourists on tiger safari at Kanha National Park, Pench, and Bandhavgarh National Parks.

In anticipation, booking is done months in advance and especially during the Diwali holidays. This is the time when the rush is at its greatest.