River
Wildlife
In India, rivers are considered holy with lot of respect. People take bath
in these holy rivers during special occasions with a belief that their sins
would be washed off. Of all, the Ganges is the longest with a length of 2500
km. The Ganges originates from the Himalayas and empties into the Bay of
Bengal. The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet and surrenders in the Bay of Bengal
after travelling a distance of around 2900 km. The Mahanadi, the Godaveri,
the Krishna and the Kaveri of Peninsular India flow into the Bay of Bengal
while the Narmada and the Tapti end up in the Arabian Sea. These are often
the most ideal habitats of several wild species. Most of the best know and
well protected wildlife areas in India are located along the rivers. The
river side not only serve water to the forest reserve, it also provide good
vacationing destination for the tourists and visitors.
Key Factors
States : Uttaranchal,
West Bengal,
Assam, Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh.
Major Locations : Ganga, Brahmaputra, Beas, Nagarjuna, Manas.
Best Time to Visit : Round the Year.
Travel Tips : Consult your doctor before you start your journey. Get
well informed about the travel requirements and the routes of your
destination.
Venture near the Rivers
Some Wildlife Sites Near the Rivers :
Sundarbans
National Park, West Bengal
The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, Brahamaputra and the
Ganges extends over areas comprising of mangrove forests, swamps and forest
island all interlinked in a network of small rivers and rivulets. Home to
more than 400 Royal Bengal Tiger, the Sundarbans National Park covers an
area of about 1330.10 sq km and the largest mangrove forest in the world,
form the core of this area.
Of the 54 islands, the islands Goasaba,
Sandeshkali and Basanti form the northern boundary of the Sundarbans; on the
south is the sea; to the west side of the Sunderbans park is the Matla and
Bidya Rivers and to the east is the international boundary of Bangladesh. As
you enter the adventurous wild land of the Sundarbans you'll be thrilled to
see the Chital Dear, Rhesus Monkey, Crocodiles, Ridley Sea Turtle, Batagur
Baska, Barking Deer, river Terrapin, etc. The aqua fauna of Sundarbans
include variety of fishes, red Fiddler Crabs and Hermit Crabs. There's is a
incredible variety of reptiles also found in Sundarbans, which includes King
Cobra, Rock Python and Water Monitor.
Corbett
National Park, Uttaranchal
Spread in an area of 520 sq km, Corbett National Park is India's first and
finest park along the banks of the river Ramganga, just 300 km northeast of
Delhi in the foothills of the Himalayas. There is a rich diversity in
habitat here. Animals of the Himalayas and those of peninsular India can
both be found here and over 50 mammal and 25 reptile species have been
recorded at Corbett. Among the predators are the tiger, leopard, diverse
species of lesser cats and the dhole - the wild dog. Out of the 2,060
species and subspecies of birds recorded in the Indian subcontinent, over
600 species/subspecies of birds have been recorded from Corbett at one time.
Kaziranga
National Park, Assam
Located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River, Kaziranga covers an
area of approximately 430 sq km with its swampland and tall thickets of
elephant grass making it the most ideal resident for the Indian one-horned
rhinos. The vast open country makes Kaziranga National Park easily
approachable and wildlife viewing fairly delightful. Since Kaziranga is
easily accessible, it provides a chance to see animals in the wild at close
quarters, thus making a trip to this National Park a very rewarding
experience.
The park lies in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra River sheltering about
1000 rhinos within its boundary. At Kaziranga you can meet - wild elephant,
wild buffalo, mouse deer, hog deer, barking deer, chinkara gazelle, bears,
leopards, leopard cat, wild boars and the gaur. Besides, bird life of
Kaziranga is typical of the north-eastern foothill of India. The Bird life
includes - pelicans, crested serpent eagle, pallas fishing eagle, grey -
headed fishing eagle, swamp partridges, red jungle fowl, Bengal florican,
bar headed goose, whistling teal, egrets, herons, black - necked stork, and
open billed stork.
Manas National
Park, Assam
The Manas National Park, set in the foothills of the Bhutanese Himalayas,
is known for its majestic tigers and the golden leaf monkey. On the
Assam-Bhutan border, the sanctuary inhabits the largest number of endangered
species of any protected area in India and was declared a World Heritage
site in the year 1985. The Manas river flows along the grassland and
riverine forests of the park. The annual monsoon floods provide Manas's
wonderful diversity, as the vegetation is restricted from reaching its
complete growth. A variety of tropical semi-evergreen, evergreen and
deciduous forests harbours a diverse range of faunal species. The dimunitive
and extremely rare pygmy hog and hispid hare are found in the grasslands but
more visible species are elephants, gaur, wild buffalo, hog deer, swamp
deer, capped langur, the rare golden langur, tiger and rhino. The rare
Finn's baya resides here and one can enjoy the sight of a Bengal florican's
breeding presentation. Four different species of hornbill nests in the
park's fruiting trees and in winter the ibisbill visits the river's
periphery.
Nagarjunsagar Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh
With an area of 356 ha and spanning over five districts of central Andhra
Pradesh, the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is the largest
tiger reserve in the country. The sanctuary lies in the south Indian state
of Andhra Pradesh in the catchment area of the Krishna River. The sanctuary
is 13 km from Macherial.
The sanctuary lies in an area of tropical dry deciduous forest. The
distinct vegetation of the forest harbours fauna like - langur, bonnet
macaque, tiger, leopard, jungle cat, wild dog, wolf, jackal, Bengal fox,
sloth bear, smooth-coated otter, palm civet, striped hyena, wild boar,
Indian spotted chevrotain, Indian muntjac, sambar, spotted deer, nilgai,
four-horned antelope, blackbuck, chinkara, Indian pangolin, giant flying
squirrel, Indian porcupine and Indian tree shrew. The avifauna is
represented by nearly 150 species, including the grey hornbill and of course
the peafowl. Reptiles include Indian soft-shelled turtle, monitor lizard,
Indian python, and marsh crocodile.
Additional
Punch
River sides are very charming sites for the tourists who are keen in
sighting both land and water at the same time. Most of the river sites offer
boating facilities, so if you want to enjoy boating along with the wildlife
viewing then her is the chance for you. If you are visiting Assam wildlife,
the river Brahmaputra will offer some of the most fascinating water sports,
you would expect. Here you can engage in river rafting, fishing &
angling, boating, etc. You can also enjoy boating at Sundarbans. If you want
to engage in more watery sports then you can engage in river rafting,
fishing & angling, kayaking & canoeing at the river of Brahmaputra,
Ramganga, Nagarjunsagar, Manas, etc.
Few Difficulites
Most of the river wildlife sites are set in the remote destination, hence
you may not find a direct transportation for any of the above given wildlife
parks, though all are easily accessible. The language and food might be a
problem at these sites. Only the educated one can speak English in India and
only the luxurious hotels offer all categories of cuisine.
Few Suggestions
Do not play in the river water without the permission from the local
authourity. Don't get into illegal trading of water species. Throw the waste
products in the mentioned areas. Don't get into any unknown or illegal
activity. Do not try to disturb the local culture and local atmosphere. Try
to be well informed about the routes and the place you are going to visit.
Contact us when and where needed, while on a wildlife India Tour.
If you want more information on Wildlife India Tour then get back to us,
whenever needed. Let us know your requirements, so that we can make your
trip to India Wildlife completely exceptional and exciting.
