Tigers

Tigers, Tigers Everywhere

The Ranthambore Park is set between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The terrain is rugged and there are rocky ridges, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools.

The park is famous for tigers and due to conservation efforts, the tiger population has stabilized if not increased here. The tigers can be spotted quite often even during the day, at their normal pursuits-- hunting and taking care of their young ones.

Old crumbling walls, ruined pavilions, wells, and other ancient structures stand witness to the region's glorious past. The entire forest is peppered with the battlements and spillovers of the Ranthambhore fort - tigers are said to frequent these ruins, too.

Ranthambhor National Park is an outstanding example of Project Tiger's efforts at conservation in the country. The forests around the Ranthambhore Fort were once, the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game in these forests for sport was responsible for their conservation, and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger. In 1972, it was estimated that there were around 1927 tigers in India, of which Rajasthan had 74, and the number of big cats in Ranthambhore Sanctuary was 14. 1972 was also the year that Project Tiger was launched, and this sanctuary was taken into its wings, along with seven other sanctuaries and national parks.

As a result of stringent efforts in conservation, tigers, the prime assets of the park, have become more and more active during the day. More than in any other park or sanctuary in India, tigers are easily spotted here in daylight. They can be seen lolling around lazily in the sun, or feverishly hunting down Sambhar around the lakes. Therefore, Ranthambhore is probably the ideal park for wildlife photography, and it does attract professional wildlife photographers, from all over the globe.