Category Geography

The region which is now Blackbuck National Park once belonged to the Maharaja of Bhavnagar; it was his hunting ground where he hunted down blackbucks with his famous hunting cheetahs. The place had a grassland ecosystem that supported herds of blackbucks and antelopes. This region was later made a national park.

Blackbuck National Park is famous for its success stories of conservation of the blackbuck, wolf and lesser florican. The lesser florican is an endangered species endemic to India. Today, the largest population of lesser floricans resides in this Park. The population of wolf and triped hyena is also increasing.

Among birds, sandgrouse and larks are seen in fair numbers. The harrier roast found at the park is one of the largest in the world.

Picture Credit : Google

Keoladeo National Park famous around the world for its bird life, both resident and migratory. During winter, large flocks of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia migrate for nesting including the Siberian crane. Over 230 species of birds are known to be the Park’s residents. This region was earlier known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

Keoladeo is a man-made and man-managed wetland. It is one of the richest bird areas in the world. The Park used to be a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Bharatpur, a tradition dating back to 1850. Duck shoots were organized yearly in honour of the British viceroys back then. Though the Maharajah retained shooting rights until 1972, the last big shoot happened in 1964. The area was designated as a bird sanctuary on 13 March, 1976 and was later declared as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Picture Credit : Google

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park was created on 24 May, 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It aimed at protecting marine life such as corals and nesting sea turtles that are common in this area.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is located in Wandoor in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is made up of 17 islands and the open sea creeks running through the area. There are 2 major island groups in the park; the Labyrinth Islands and the Twin Islands. Twin Islands is an important area of sea turtles. The islands belong to the Rutland Archipelago and are located between Rutland Island and South Andaman Island.

Some of the islands in the Park are more isolated or protected from the effects of weather in the Bay of Bengal. Tarmugli is the largest island in the Park; it is covered with thick mangrove vegetation, sand covered beaches and sheet rocks.

Picture Credit : Google

Filled with vast stretches of equatorial forest and grasslands, Intanki is one of the finest wildlife protected areas of Nagaland. It became a national park in 1993.

The thick rain forests in the Park offer a perfect habitat for all types of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Intanki is full of animals like Hoolock gibbon, golden langur, palm civets, tiger, black stork, sloth bear, wild dogs, flying squirrel, monitor lizard, and python.

It also has a large bird population; the birdlife here ranges from pheasants to hornbills and white-breasted kingfishers.

Intanki is also known as Ntangki National Park. The name Ntangki is derived from the Zeme dialect of the Zeliangrong tribe.

Picture Credit : Google

In spite of their name, clouded leopards are not actually leopards. They are small version of the big car family, noted for their commendable ability to climb trees and jump to amazing heights. The dark blotchy patches with a unique pattern on its skin distinguish the clouded leopard from others in the cat family. Clouded Leopard National Park in Tripura is famous for its captive clouded leopard enclosures. Clouded leopards are also found in other national parks in the north-east.

Clouded Leopard National Park is a woodland with an artificial lake. It is a part of Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary. The spectacled langur, an endemic species of Tripura is abundant here. Other mammals like leopard, jungle fowl, barking deer and wild pigs are also found in the Park.

Picture Credit : Google

Located near the Nilgiri Hills, Mudumalai National Park protects a range of plant and animal life including the Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, gaur, Indian leopard, and the critically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.

Mudumalai is divided into five ranges- Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota. The Park borders Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Just like Bandipur, Mudumalai too lies between the Mysore-Ooty road, flooded with tourist traffic. There is a night travel ban here too in order to safeguard the elephant corridor.

The extensive growth of invasive species, such as lantana poses a threat to the fauna of Mudumalai; this hinders the natural regeneration process of the forests.

Picture Credit : Google