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Ranthambore
Tourism
Ranthambore National Park is in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan state.Located at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, this is one of the finest places to view animals, especially as they are used to being stared at here.The park covers an area of Approximately 400 sq Km and if combined it with the area of sawai man singh sanctuary area,it is around 500 Sq km. Ranthambore national park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". It got it's status of a National Park in 1981.
Ranthambore National Park is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras.There are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants. A huge fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park atop a hill. There are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over the jungle, which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history and wildlife.
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Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. These tigers are famous for being seen in the daytime too, due to their lack of fear of human presence in vehicles. This lack of fear of humans is excellent for tourists, as they get to see the tigers often. This National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities. The park remains open every year from October to May.Famous for the exciting and frequent tiger sightings captured dramatically in several books, this park is today affected by ecological pressures and poaching.
In Nutshell, Ranthambore National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities and remains open every year from October to Mid June.
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Excursions
Bakaula: The bakaula area is an area dotted with little water holes and thick foliage. Even in peak summers it feels like an air-conditioned room. The density of wildlife present in the area is also excellent. One feels it is possible to come across a tiger around every bend, even though it might be easier to actually do so near the edges of the lakes. This area is also a favourite with tigresses with cubs as it provides them with ample water and food supply along with excellent cover.
Kachida Valley: This valley, which consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills, is located close to the outskirts of the park. A jeep would be the ideal mode of transport when trying to visit this area. This area contains a majority of the Panther population of the park. The panthers avoid venturing into the main jungle to avoid conflicts with tigers, who are known to kill them. This area also has a good population of bears.
Lakarda and Anantpura: These areas located in the North-Western and Northern regions of the park are ideal locations to visit if looking for Sloth Bears. These areas have a lot of ant hills, which are a favourite of the beers. Although very rarely seen themselves, the pugmarks of the Indian striped Hyenas are often seen here. Their numbers are not very large in the park.
Raj Bagh Ruins: These ruins are located between the Padam Talao (lake) and the Raj Bagh Talao. These ancient stone structures like arches, palace outhouses, domes and steps give the area an aura that is not possible to find anywhere else in the world. Especially if you include the jungle surroundings and are one of the lucky few who come across one of the resident tigers. These ruins are what give the Ranthambore National Park such a unique mixture of a wildlife reserve and a reminder of the past, which together make it one of the most picturesque parks in the entire world.
Padam Talao: This is the largest of the lakes present in the park. The famous and beautiful Jogi Mahal is located at the very edge of this lake. When in season, the water lilies that give the lake it's name, can be seen in plenty. In the early hours of the morning and just before sunset, animals can be seen in large numbers on the lake side. It is in the shallow waters of this lake that the famous "lake hunters" of Ranthambore operate, the most legendary of which was the tiger, Genghis. It is also along this lake's edges that the rare sighting of the chinkara is most probable.
Ranthambore Fort: This fort stands majestically atop a hill overlooking the entire park. The walk up, one of the only places this mode of transport is possible, is a very refreshing and exciting one as even the big cats have been spotted up there! The view of the surrounding keeps getting better and better as you go up but the view from the fort itself can only be described as breathtaking. It is advisable to take along a good pair of binoculars and if possible a camera with a very powerful lens when visiting the fort.
The soaring Serpent eagles, vultures and other birds can be seen at eye level. Many animals can also be seen along the edges of all the water bodies, which are all visible from here. The fort itself also offers many interesting architectural and historical sights worth viewing and photographing. A trip to the fort is a must if you are a first time visitor to the park. A guide with a good knowledge of the fort's history would always be a good idea.
Rajbagh Talao: This is probably the most picturesque of the three lakes. This mostly due to the ruins that can be seen along it's edges. Yet, it owes some of it's beauty to the animals that seem to always flock to it's waters. It always has a large population of animals and birds feeding in it. The sambhar deer at Ranthambore have adapted to eating plants from the lake floor and nowhere is it more evident than at the Rajbagh Talao. Many birds, like egrets, can be seen riding on these deer while they feed. The areas around the Rajbagh Talao are also prime tiger spotting areas due to the kind of forest and it's accessibility to water sources.
Malik Talao: This is the smallest of the three lakes in Ranthambore National Park. But, as they say, all the best things come in small packages. This definitely holds true for Malik Talao. It is an area full of concentrated action all the time. It always seems to have a healthy population of birds of all kinds. Also seen at the lake very clearly and from a reasonably close distance and handsome specimens of the Indian Marsh Crocodiles. It is quite common here to be able to watch a kingfisher on a hunt for small fish.
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Flora
The vegetation in the park is mostly of the dry deciduous type with a large variety consisting of nearly 300 species. The majority of the tree cover is however mainly made up of :
1. Am (Magnifera Indica)
2. Imli (Tamarindicus indica)
3. Babul (Accasia nilotica)
4. Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)
5. Ber (Zizyphus mauritania)
6. Dhak or Chila (flame of the forest){Butea monosperma}
7. Dhok (Anogeossis pendula)
8. Jamun (Syzygium cumini)
9. Kadam (Authocephalus cadamba)
10. Khajur (Phoenix sylvestris)
11. Khair (Accacia catechu)
The forests of Ranthambore have a lot of contrasting vegetation
12. Karel (Capparis decidua)
13. Khejda (Prosopis specigera)
14. Kakera (Flacourtia indica)
15. Mohua (Madhuca indica)
16. Neem (Azadirachta indica)
Dhok forms a majority of the tree cover
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Wild Animals
Ranthambore National park contains a huge variety of animals, birds and reptiles within it. Primarlily the population consists of...
Animals: Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose.
The amphibian species only consist of the Common India Toad and the Common Frog.
The park is most famous for it's diurnal tigers.
The park also has a large number of marsh crocs Reptiles: Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chamaeleon.
Birds In Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore, due to its varied terrain and abundance of water bodies, has an excellent population of birds, resident and migrant. In total, a list of 272 species have been documented. Some of the best locations to watch birds at, and from, are Malik Talao, the Ranthambore Fort, Rajbagh Talao, Padam Talao and in the Jhalra area.
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