Tadoba

Located in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), is the State’s oldest and largest national park. Marked by mostly dry deciduous vegetation, some parts of Tadoba comprise patches of moist deciduous forest. Boasting a varied species of animals and birds such as tigers, leopards, dholes (wild dogs), and the mottled wood-owl and nightjars, this park also harbors a variety of reptiles and amphibians.

Visitors make a beeline to Tadoba during the summer months to spot its much sought-after denizen, the Bengal Tiger. On top of everyone’s list, the tigers of Tadoba are a major draw for photographers and tourists alike, attracting people from across the globe to visit the park to catch a glimpse of the elusive cat.

An added advantage is that the safaris in the buffer zone in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve are as good as the core zones, offering one of the best chances of tiger sightings in India, explains Harsha. This gives the visitors another reason to visit Tadoba, especially when some of the other reserves are closed for the monsoon.

Besides tigers, Tadoba is a treasure trove of other animals. Be it the muscular gaur, the shy striped hyena, the small Indian civet, or jungle cats, the drives into the jungle have something to offer for everyone. That said, Tadoba offers a good chance to glimpse sloth bears, chausingha, and mugger or marsh crocodiles. If this isn’t a good enough reason to visit Tadoba, the opportunity to wait by the Andhari River or the Tadoba Lake, listening to the bird calls amid the beautiful landscape should be reason enough!