The Ranthambhore National Park, which is a part of the much larger Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, lies in the Sawai Madhopur district of eastern Rajasthan.
The Chambal River forms a natural boundary of the Park towards the east, and on the eastern shore of Chambal lies the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. To the northeast of the Park, flows the river – Banas, a tributary of Chambal. Across the river Banas, lies the Keladevi sanctuary, while the Sawai Man Singh sanctuary lies to the south of the Park. Both these sanctuaries, like the National Park, are part of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.
Today, the reserve spans over 1334 sq. km of area, of which only 392 sq. km is the Ranthambhore National Park. All the safaris in the Reserve are conducted inside the National Park. Few tourists, if any at all, go to the Man Singh or Keladevi sanctuary.
Till the mid 20th century, the National park was a private hunting ground for the Maharaja of Jaipur, but was nationalized soon after India gained independence. In 1972, when the Project Tiger was launched, Ranthambhore was one of the “original 9” parks to be earmarked for tiger conservation, under the Project Tiger.
Wild Life In the Park
The ecosystem at Ranthambhor has evolved into a self-sustaining one, with a range of predators and their prey. This makes visits to the park worthwhile for most visitors with an even-handed chance of spotting big game as well as several herbivorous species.
Tiger :- Though tiger are usually nocturnal, in Ranthambhor their preservation has led to a change in their habits and they are fairly easily sighted during the day. Another change has been in their living habits - as family units rather then just solitary hunters. The density, at one tiger for every 10 sq. kms. is fairly high. Though there were attempts at poaching a few years ago that called for strict vigil from the forest guards, in principle, the population of tigers has increased since it became a Project Tiger reserve.
Other Predators :- A hunter, at per with the tiger, is the marsh Crocodile, seen most often basking on the shores of the park's lakes. Almost three meters in the length, they catch fish, turtle and even deer along the banks. At times, they have even got into conflicts over tigers for a favorite prey-sambhar. Their number has increased over the years.
The park has a large number of leopards too. These have a significantly high population, but because the tigers remain in the central areas, the leopards, witch overlap in their requirement of the prey species, largely confine their activities to the periphery of the park.
Other then these, the park is home to jungle cats and caracals. In the night, hyenas and jackals stalk the undergrowth.
Prey Species :- The large variety of deer, seen standing in the shallow waters of the lake's banks or foraging in the undergrowth, from the dominant prey species in Ranthambhor. These include sambhar, seen everywhere in herds, as are cheetal and neelgai. Chinkaras are more solitary in appearance. It is not uncommon to find that sambhar spend a considerable part of the day swimming and eating in the lakes. The park also has here, mongoose and monitor lizards. Langoors chatter incessantly through the rich canopy of tree cover.
Other Wildlife Species :- When driving through the jungle trails, it is possible to spot the occasional sloth beer in the park. Groups of wild boar, on the other hand, are more likely to be encountered around the lakes.
Avifauna :- The lakes and forests combine to create a habitat that has become home to a large species of birdlife. The park has more than 300 varieties of birds.These include eagles, owls, storks, spoonbills, jacanas, several varieties of ducks, partridges, quails, sandgrouse, peafowl and spurfowl, and the distinctive paradise flycatcher. During the winter months, migratory birds such as graylag goose, ruddy shelduck and pintails are also seen. Some rare birds like the black eagle and the creasted hawk eagle have also been sighted in the park recently.
Best Season
The best time for visiting Ranthambhor depends on the special interest of the visitor. The park opens from October to June. November to March are the best months.
The Chambal River forms a natural boundary of the Park towards the east, and on the eastern shore of Chambal lies the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. To the northeast of the Park, flows the river – Banas, a tributary of Chambal. Across the river Banas, lies the Keladevi sanctuary, while the Sawai Man Singh sanctuary lies to the south of the Park. Both these sanctuaries, like the National Park, are part of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.
Today, the reserve spans over 1334 sq. km of area, of which only 392 sq. km is the Ranthambhore National Park. All the safaris in the Reserve are conducted inside the National Park. Few tourists, if any at all, go to the Man Singh or Keladevi sanctuary.
Till the mid 20th century, the National park was a private hunting ground for the Maharaja of Jaipur, but was nationalized soon after India gained independence. In 1972, when the Project Tiger was launched, Ranthambhore was one of the “original 9” parks to be earmarked for tiger conservation, under the Project Tiger.
Wild Life In the Park
The ecosystem at Ranthambhor has evolved into a self-sustaining one, with a range of predators and their prey. This makes visits to the park worthwhile for most visitors with an even-handed chance of spotting big game as well as several herbivorous species.
Tiger :- Though tiger are usually nocturnal, in Ranthambhor their preservation has led to a change in their habits and they are fairly easily sighted during the day. Another change has been in their living habits - as family units rather then just solitary hunters. The density, at one tiger for every 10 sq. kms. is fairly high. Though there were attempts at poaching a few years ago that called for strict vigil from the forest guards, in principle, the population of tigers has increased since it became a Project Tiger reserve.
Other Predators :- A hunter, at per with the tiger, is the marsh Crocodile, seen most often basking on the shores of the park's lakes. Almost three meters in the length, they catch fish, turtle and even deer along the banks. At times, they have even got into conflicts over tigers for a favorite prey-sambhar. Their number has increased over the years.
The park has a large number of leopards too. These have a significantly high population, but because the tigers remain in the central areas, the leopards, witch overlap in their requirement of the prey species, largely confine their activities to the periphery of the park.
Other then these, the park is home to jungle cats and caracals. In the night, hyenas and jackals stalk the undergrowth.
Prey Species :- The large variety of deer, seen standing in the shallow waters of the lake's banks or foraging in the undergrowth, from the dominant prey species in Ranthambhor. These include sambhar, seen everywhere in herds, as are cheetal and neelgai. Chinkaras are more solitary in appearance. It is not uncommon to find that sambhar spend a considerable part of the day swimming and eating in the lakes. The park also has here, mongoose and monitor lizards. Langoors chatter incessantly through the rich canopy of tree cover.
Other Wildlife Species :- When driving through the jungle trails, it is possible to spot the occasional sloth beer in the park. Groups of wild boar, on the other hand, are more likely to be encountered around the lakes.
Avifauna :- The lakes and forests combine to create a habitat that has become home to a large species of birdlife. The park has more than 300 varieties of birds.These include eagles, owls, storks, spoonbills, jacanas, several varieties of ducks, partridges, quails, sandgrouse, peafowl and spurfowl, and the distinctive paradise flycatcher. During the winter months, migratory birds such as graylag goose, ruddy shelduck and pintails are also seen. Some rare birds like the black eagle and the creasted hawk eagle have also been sighted in the park recently.
Best Season
The best time for visiting Ranthambhor depends on the special interest of the visitor. The park opens from October to June. November to March are the best months.
