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Taj Mahal, a dream etched in milky white
pristine marble is the peerless monument portraying the beauty of
eternal love! A commemoration of the memory of Shahjahan's beloved wife,
Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is indeed India's rich tribute to womanhood. Renowned
for its aesthetic beauty, this extravagant building of timeless beauty
is the outcome of a unique combination of passion and architectural
exuberance.
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Wildlife
Information of India |
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Uttaranchal
Wildlife National Park |
North India Wildlife ||
South India Wildlife ||
East India Wildlife ||
West India Wildlife
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Central India Wildlife
Askot
Wildlife Sanctuary
Askot Sanctuary, established in 1986,
is located in the pastoral surroundings of Indo-Nepal border, in
Pithoragarh. Nestled in the picturesque Kumaon Himalayas, Pithoragarh is
often called 'Mini Kashmir'.
Flora and Fauna: The park is rich in various species of
captivating flora and fauna. The wild species of fauna include snow
tiger, leopard, bharal, thar, kakar, black and grey himalayan bear and
different types of pheasants and other birds.The wild vegetation
comprises of kunj, kail, khersu, fir, bhoj patra, darkunja, raijal etc.
Corbett National Park
The Corbett National Park is located
in the terai region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, straddling the
undulating Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas. Located around 300
kilometres away from New Delhi, it is India's first ever national park.
The park was established in 1936 as the Hailey National Park, following
the advice of the hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett. The park covered 520
sq.kilometres in 1986, and a proposed extension of 588 sq. kilometres is
under consideration. Project Tiger, which was set up with the help of
the World Wildlife Fund, was launched at Dhikala, in the Corbett
National Park on April 1, 1973. This project was aimed at saving the
Indian tiger (Pantheratigris tigris) from extinction. Over 50 mammals,
580 birds and 25 reptile species have been listed in the Corbett
National Park. The insect life is also astounding, noticeably specially
after the monsoons. But undoubtedly, the jewel of the Corbettis the
Indian tiger. It was estimated that in 1984, the tiger population was 90
in this park. Leopards as well as lesser cats such as the leopard cat,
jungle cat, fishing cat are also found here.
Fauna :The sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, dhole, jackal,
yellow throated martem, Himalyan palm civet, Indian greymongoose, common
otter, porcupine, clacktaped hare are the other attractionsof this area.
It is possible to see elephants all over the park. Four species of deer
are found here. These are the chital, the well-known spotted deer, para,
kakka, and the barking deer. The goat antelopes are represented by the
ghoral. There is a lot for the bird watchers in this park. It has over
580 speciesof birds. Most of the water birds are migrant, and arrive in
winters. Someof these are the greylag, barheaded goose, duck, grepe,
snipe, sandpiper,gull and wagtail. The residents include darters,
cormorants, egrets, herons, the blacknecked stork and the spurwinged
lapwings. Reptiles, which are residents of this area, are the
gharial,the rare fish eating, long - nosed crocodile, and a few species
of turtlesand tortoises. The Indian python, viper, cobra, krait and
kingcobra also inhabit the Corbett National Park. The National Park
offers invaluable experiences for adventurous and serious-minded
wildlife - buffs, photographers and anglers. It is advantageous to have
one's own vehicle here. Walking in some areas is permitted, but only
when accompanied by a guide. Elephant rides for wildlife viewing, in the
mornings and evenings, can be booked in the Dhikala complex.
Govind National
Park
Govind Wildlife Sanctuary is
surrounded by Uttarkashi district. The sanctuary spread over an area of
953 sq. kms. This sanctuary was set up in 1955. It is believed to be one
of the most beautiful towns in the Garhwal region. It has snowclad peaks
and glaciers including mountains like Swarg Rohini, Black Peak and
Bandarpunch. The popular destination for the trekkers is Har-ki-dun,
which is famous for its emerald greenery.
Fauna: The wildlife populations counts as snow leopard, brown and
Himalayan black bears, thar, bharal, musk deer, serow, monal, trogopan
chir, koklas and khaleej pheasants and chukor.
Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
Founded in 1972, Kedarnath Wildlife
Sanctuary sprawls over an area of 967 sq. km of the Garhwal Himalayas.
This stretch of the Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts affords a splendid
view of mountains and dales, forests and grasslands, exotic butterflies
and flowers. Some of the interesting residents of the sanctuary are the
snow leopard, leopard, tahr, serow, snow cock and musk deer. Khaleej and
monal pheasants are some of the feathered inhabitants.
The Garhwal Himalayas have some of the highest peaks in India, housing
the sacred Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines as well as several forest
reserves. It is from here that the holy Ganga and Yamuna rivers
originate.
Nanda Devi National Park
Nanda Devi National Park lies in
Chamoli District, within the Garhwal Himalaya. The main entry point to
the park is via Lata Village, some 25km from Joshimath township.
Declared a national park in 1982, the park is bound by high mountain
ridges and peaks on all sides except its western side, which features a
deep and virtually inaccessible gorge.
The area is reputedly one of the most spectacular wildernesses in the
Himalaya. Nanda Devi, the highest complete mountain in India dominates
the basin.
It supports a diverse flora, largely on account of the wide altitudinal
range, and an interesting variety of large mammals, including a number
of rare or threatened species.
Unlike many other Himalayan areas, it is free from human settlement and
has remained largely unspoilt due to its inaccessibility, particularly
the forests of the lower Rishi Valley.
Rajaji
National Park
The Rajaji National Park is rich in
faunal wealth because of the varied types of ecological niches existing
in the reserve. The main groups occur are birds, mammals & reptiles
snakes and lizards, amphibians (frogs & toads) and fishes, and chiefly
the invertebrate groups are, the scorpions, centipedes, Odonata (dragon
& damselflies), hymenoptera (wasps, bees, etc.) Isoptera (termites) and
lepidoptera, which comprises more than 60 species. Our National bird
Peacock is found here in abundance.
The smaller carnivores as co-predators are leopard cat, jungle cat,
civet cat and yellow-throated martin. Besides, other mammals like hyena,
jackal and Bengal fox are not an uncommon sight and work as scavengers
in the park.
49 mammals species are belonging to 42 genera, in 21 families and nine
orders have been recorded. According to census done in 1999 there are
445 elephants, 32 tigers and 177 leopards, besides thousands of other
wild animals in the park.
315 birds species are reported to occur in the park. Birds like ducks,
teals, cormorants, egrets, lapwing, pond herons, peafowl, jungle fowl,
various species of partridges and pheasants, drongo, crows, owlets and
nightjars, birds of prey, etc, are quite common.
Twenty-eight species of snakes, 12 species of turtles & tortoises and 9
species of lizards among Reptilia are being recorded from the park.
Ten species under six genera and four families belonging to order Anura
(toads & frogs) with their developmental stages have been recorded from
the park. Uperodon systoma, Polypedates maculatus and Rana crassa are
recorded for the first time from the park. Besides, an interesting
phenomenon of breeding of Bufonids was observed, which showed that B.
stomaticus & B.melanostictus breeds during July-August on the northern
slope of Siwalik, whereas the same species breeds up to November on the
southern slope. Polypedates maculatus, which inhabits the live
tree-holes, breeds only in July.
Valley of Flower National Park
The famous Valley of Flowers with the
largest concentration of various species of wild flowers is off the
Rishikesh-Badrinath road, 16 km from Govindghat. A virtual treat to the
eyes, this beautiful valley in the Himalayas was established in the year
1982.This park, the smallest national park in the Himalayas was created
to protect the catchment area of the Pushpavati River.
This stream emerges from a glacier then tumbles downward to meet the
Ganges. The park spans an area of 87.5 sq. km and is perched on the
upper reaches of the Bhyundia Ganga of Chamoli district of Garhwal. The
Pushpawati River flows by the valley while the awesome Rataban peak
forms a spectacular backdrop.

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