Bandhavgarh National Park – Tigers & Leopards
The Tiger Reserve of Bandhavgarh National Park covers an area of 1537 square kilometers with a core area of 717 square kilometers. In our experience Bandhavgarh offers the highest statistical chance in India of viewing tigers – our guests almost always enjoy multiple sightings. Many hills and hillocks dot the area amidst valleys, meadows and marshes. The Charanganga is the main river that flows through the park, and there are a number of old tanks and water holes that provide reliable water sources for the wildlife. With tropical dry and moist deciduous forests interspersed with grasslands, the vegetation is chiefly of Sal Trees in the valleys and on the lower slopes, with bamboo found in abundance throughout most of the park.
At the center of the park is Bandhavgarh Hill and the remains of the 2000 years old Bandhavgarh Fort which sits atop the rocky outcrop and is surrounded by a large number of smaller hills separated by gently sloping valleys. Concentrated around it, as well as in other parts of the park, are numerous cave shrines with ancient Sanskrit inscriptions dating back to the 1st century BC.
Bandhavgarh has an abundance of tigers and other wildlife species. Among mammals the most common are chital, sambhar, barking deer, wild dog, leopard, wolf, jackal, sloth bear, wild pig, langur, and, as in most Indian wildlife parks, uncountable numbers of monkeys. Reptiles include the cobra, krait, viper, python, and chameleons. The reserve is rich in birds with about 250 species of birds. The common ones are egret, jungle crow, peafowl, grey hornbill, red wattled lapwing, crested serpent eagle, quails, owls, parakeets, and common teal.