Bandhavgarh National Park is famous for its tigers and leopards.
A wide variety of other wildlife is also found here. Hemmed in by the Vindhyan mountain
ranges, the Park is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Covering an area of
437 sq km, the Park encompasses dense forest, open meadows, wetlands and steep ridges.
The Park is named after an ancient fort located in the area. It has the highest
density of tiger population, which makes it a big hit with wildlife lovers.
There are more than 45 tigers in the Park. It was once the hunting reserve
of the kings of Rewa. Bandhavgarh was earlier the hunting reserve of the Maharajas
of Rewa, the region was a major hunting ground of animals where Maharaja Raman Singh
himself shot a stupendous figure of 111 tigers by 1914.
Declared a National Park in 1968, the Park was declared a Tiger Reserve
in 1993. In the year 1951 Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa caught a white
tiger in this area. It was named Mohan and now it has been put on display in his
palace. This is the reason why the Park is called the 'White Tiger Jungle' as first
white tiger was discovered here and also known as the birth place of white tiger.
However, there are no white tigers in the Park.
Wildlife in Bandhavgarh: However, there are no white tigers in
the Park. Wildlife in Bandhavgarh:- The Park houses boasts of 22 species of mammals
and 250 species of birds. Some of the inhabitants here include the, Tiger, Leopard,
Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Large Indian Civet, Wild Boar, Chinkara or Indian
Gazelle, Nilgai or Blue Bull, Cheetal or Spotted deer, Sambhar deer, Chausingha
or Four Horned Antelope, Kakar or Barking deer, Ratel, Sloth Bear, Porcupine, Dholes
or Wild Dogs, Striped Hyenas, Golden Jackals, Small Indian Mongoose, Wild Pigs Asiatic
Jackal, Bengal Fox, Chausingha, Nilgai, Chinkara and Gaur, Dhole, Small Indian Civet
Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, , Spotted Deer, Sambar, Palm Squirrel and Lesser Bandicoot
Rat, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose,
A wide variety of avian species are also spotted in the Park such as white browed
fantails, black and white Malabar hornbills (quite a rare sighting, steppe eagles,
green pigeons, grey Malabar hornbills), blossom headed parakeets, parakeets, blue
bearded bee eaters, green bee eaters, white bellied drongos, owls, Jordon’s and
gold fronted leaf birds, minivets, woodshrikes and paradise flycatchers.