Tiger Safari More Expensive

Though I am not citing a confirmed report, it is obvious that rates will go up.  I have heard from a hotelier in Bandhavgarh about the increase in gate fees in all Central Indian Tiger Reserves. For a long time, the administration was intent on increasing gate fees and all related fees. How much increase there is yet to be seen by the author.  

This is necessary as the cost has gone up as they are bound to. Even the jeep safari rates have gone up which is understood. The rates of petrol affect the transportation cost all over India hence the tiger reserve. 

Will this impact tourism in our tiger reserves?

Well yes and no!

The rich will continue to come here and enjoy their wildlife holidays in larger numbers. The tigers and their habitat receive tremendous publicity in wildlife magazines and on TV. This diverts more and more people towards tiger tourism in India.

But the increasing cost of the tours will certainly affect the middle class and those below. The major impact will be on the hotels and resorts since not all cater to upscale tourists.  Most of the accommodation will be stressed.

The negative aspect is that nature should be witnessed by a wide spectrum of society. It is quite understood that visitors begin to understand nature close and develop a more practical approach towards it and its conservation. A lot of Indian tourists who visit these preserves on a budget are going to be deprived of this eye-opening experience and miss out on this amazing inheritance.   This applies to budget travelers from foreign soils as well. The negative impact of increased safari costs will make tiger tourism appear to be a prerogative of the wealthy. This will certainly create antipathy toward these parks among the have not’s.    

For school-going children a park visit is a learning experience and is vital for them. These very kids will grow up with a positive attitude towards the environment and all other life forms.    

Some way has to be found out in order to invite less privileged people sans some privileges. Another answer is to open up more wildlife sanctuaries for tourism with proper infrastructure development. But are we very good at finding solutions to problems, take the case of tiger conservation in India?

Exciting Birds of Kanha

Kanha National Park earlier known as Kanha Kisli is home to the endangered tiger and hard-ground swamp deer. But the tiger overshadows Kanha's popularity over its other famed aspects.

Birding at Kanha Tiger Preserve is a highly interesting activity. The bird watching at Kanha is popular among birders who come on tiger safaris in the park. Now many tour operators are planning full-fledged birding tours.

Kanha is a habitat for approximately two hundred and fifty bird species the checklist includes winter visitors. At Kanha wildlife refuge the forest birds are best seen. Since there are no large water bodies, wetland bird watching is not as exciting as Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

Forest birding is a very exciting but arduous task. Long hours of waiting, highly focused vision for spotting birds in the canopy, and good knowledge of bird calls is a prerequisites. This is for both - bird guides and birders. Not forgetting high-class pair of binoculars and spotting scope and good bird books.

The most exciting finds (though not rare) are Malabar pied hornbill, Shama, Indian scimitar babbler, and Paradise flycatchers. Racket-tailed drongo, Spangled Drongo also take the cake. It requires trained eyes and skills to locate these birds since they are mostly hiding in thick foliage. Malabar pied hornbill prefers higher canopy of the tree while the Shama keeps to bushes and low grounds often. Shama is rated as the best songbird by Salim Ali. These birds are seen in intact ecosystems of the park, and with difficulty outside in the buffer zone.

The common birds are parakeets, orioles, drongos, babblers, bush chats, Indian robins, tree pie, spotted owlet, barred jungle, owlet, orange-headed thrush, common grey hornbill, and mynas. These birds can easily be seen in and around hotels of Kanha in neighboring forests and gardens. Catch hold of the hotel naturalist to assist you.

Among good finds are chloropsis - blue cheeked and gold mantled. Ultramarine flycatchers and wintering warblers are exciting to see the former with difficulty. Iora, Brown cheeked fulvetta, crimson-breasted barbet, grey-headed barbet, grey francolin, painted francolin, rain quail, night jars, red spurfowl, Indian scimitar babbler, and Shama are more often heard than seen. Some of the birds call consistently in the wildlife preserve. If you develop a good ear for bird calls your birding will succeed fourfold.

Large owls and raptors are often seen at the wildlife refuge. Brown Hawk Owl can be seen around trees neighboring marshes with luck. Mottled wood owl is often heard at the night, while collared scops owl can be seen often in pairs near the Pakur tree at the Kisli Gate. Among raptors, honey buzzards, pariah kites, and white-eyed buzzards along with shikra are often seen. Crested serpent eagle and crested hawk eagle though not rare are exciting to spot. The serpent eagle is a persistent caller in the meadows. One can see Ospreys at the water body before the Kisli Gate in winter. Vultures seen are white-backed now rare, King vultures, and often Egyptian vultures on the top of the trees.

Water birds can be seen around Sravan Taal, Bishenpura water body, and Saundher lake. in winter Northern pintail and common teals arrive in respectable numbers. Lesser whistling teals, Nakta, white-necked storks, painted storks, and lesser adjutant storks are resident wetland birds.

The list of birds at Kanha is endless. Bird watching is exciting at this park only if you are not involved in a frantic tiger chase. For any tourist, an effort should be made to appreciate a more holistic picture of the preserve rather than run after tigers or leopards. The best time for a bird tour is in winter whence the numbers are augmented by migrants.

Birding at Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park is famous for tiger safaris. But more is needed to know about the birding potential that the park offers. The tiger has been the focus of attention here, but many interested tourists and wild lifers have had a keen eye for the birds in the past.

Bandhavgarh has many interesting species such as Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Black Hooded Oriole, Racket Tailed Drongo, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Bonelli's Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Verditor Flycatcher, Black-rumped Flameback, Streaked Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Sirkeer Malkoha Alexandrine Parakeet, Brown Fish Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Sarus Crane, Hen Harrier, and Pied Harrier. The now rare White-rumped Vulture and Indian Vulture can be seen at Bandhavgarh. The steep cliffs accord the perfect nesting site for Indian Vultures. The wetlands inside the park are not extensive and I have barely seen some Northern Pintails, Comb Duck, Lesser Whistling Teal, Painted Storks, Cotton Pygmy Geese, and Ruddy Shelduck. A recce at Bamera Dam and other such places should result in good species of migratory ducks and waders.

With luck Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon and Common Kestrel can be sighted. There have been more than two hundred fifty bird species including migrants seen in the park. Many species can be seen near Bandhavgarh Lodges which offer hotel accommodations for tiger safaris in the park.

Most of the hotels in the tiger reserve have trained naturalists with good knowledge of birds. This helps tourists on wildlife safaris in the park. Trained bird specialists help professional birders from various regions understand the avifauna of the reserve.

Bandhavgarh has great potential as a birding destination, and professional birding groups will have a successful trip. The best time for bird tours would be winter when the migrants augment the number of bird species. But as the foliage is thick birding can be difficult nevertheless, the findings could be fascinating for bird lovers.

Forest birding is always exciting and full of surprises. Though Bandhavgarh does not have as many species as Corbett National Park, birding here is fascinating especially to sight birds of Central India. Bandhavgarh and Kanha will be interesting additions to birding trips in India.

Tiger Resorts

It is resting time for denizens of Kanha but the open season is nearing. After monsoons the parks in Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh open for tiger safari in India.

The establishment of the parks was from the point of view to conserve tigers and other wild animals. Most of the parks in India are declared as tiger reserves since they are being assisted by Project tiger that plays a key role in conservation of the species of Indian tiger. However they have also ended up as the most preferred destinations for wildlife safari to see the tiger in India.

Tiger enthusiasts, conservationists and wildlife photographers eagerly wait for the parks to open. Not only the above but the wildlife resort owners too await the opening of the park as their business depends upon tiger tourism.

The most popular parks in MP are Kanha National Park in Central India in Satpura range, Pench tiger reserve in Seoni Hills and Bandhavgarh National Park in Vindhya range. These are the most preferred destinations for Indian safaris and birding. There are lot of budget and luxury lodges a and resorts that cater to ever burgeoning tourism in these centers of wildlife attractions in India.