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Viewing Tigers in India - Best Time of Year?

Viewing Tigers in India - Best Time of Year?

Old Nov 5th, 2015, 11:46 AM
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Viewing Tigers in India - Best Time of Year?

Could you please tell me if there is a better time for viewing tigers in any of the big parks in northern India?

I've heard that April to March is sweltering hot but it is the best time of year to see the tigers.

Thanks!
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Old Nov 5th, 2015, 09:31 PM
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January to April is relatively dry season in India and Northern India can get cold.The rains are long gone and so with it the lush greenery. Visibility is 'better' in tiger country.
Considering the elusiveness of a Royal Bengal, a master of camouflage,stealth and concealment, as to when His Highness wishes to present Himself and where is anybody's guess.

Happy Hunting !!
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Old Nov 5th, 2015, 11:16 PM
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Yes, it is true. April- May are good month for tiger sightings as it remains quite hot (around 40 degrees) at that time of year. Due to this much heat small ponds gets dried up and jungle turns into dry & deciduous. As tigers like water hence they can be easily spotted near the water bodies. Also there is less grass where they can hide at that time of year.

Well. But it doesn't mean that sighting is not good at other months. In Bandhavgarh and Kanha, Yiger density is which offers good chances of tiger sightings. Also, in Ranthambore, tiger sightings are high as the forest there is not very dense and remains dry during most of the time.
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Old Nov 6th, 2015, 03:48 AM
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I have not been to the parks in India, but every report I have read here says that if you have been to Africa (as I see by your profile you have) you will be very disappointed by the Indian parks. Both by the facilities and the sightings, or rather the lack thereof. There are many reasons to go to India, but these days I don't think big game is one of them.
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Old Nov 8th, 2015, 03:27 AM
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@inquest : Best time to visit India's tiger marks are the summer months of April/May. The forests are devoid of leaf cover, and animals can be spotted easily near water holes.

We have some rich dense forests. Enjoy your stay. Any particular parks you have in mind?
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Old Nov 9th, 2015, 12:52 PM
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Thank you everyone for your help - appreciate your honesty.

I don't have any particular parks in mind right now. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm only familiar with Ranthambore National Park. Is there a lot in northern India?

@thursdaysd - South Africa was incredible. Kruger Park was definitely my favourite and didn't disappoint. Didn't see many lions up close but I did spot some in the distance. Big cats are my favourite.
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Old Nov 9th, 2015, 10:34 PM
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Northern India has some good national parks but only couple of them are good for Tiger sighting.

Central India parks are more famous for tiger safaris i.e Kanha, Bandhhavgarh, Satpura and Tadoba
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Old Nov 9th, 2015, 10:34 PM
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For a die-hard Tiger wallah, the best time to travel in the North India Parks which may include Corbett, Ranthambhore, Kanha, Bandhav garh and some lesser known reserves is March to early June. This is the time when most of the water bodies have dried up forcing animals to stay close to the fewer waterholes and the chances increase as much. The sightings improve dramatically in the morning safaris as the tiger having had a meal, is assailed by thirst, flies and warmer sun. He is restless and can be seen approaching pools for an early morning drink, before retiring to the heavy foliage for an undisturbed sleep, only to wake at about 2:00PM for the next hunt or meal as the case may be. He avoids moving about in midday, unless pressed by circumstance, as the ground is hot and he has soft pads!
Tigers in Corbett seem to be shy and tend to conceal when faced by tourists. But to stay inside the Park and listen to the Jungle calls add many dimensions to the enjoyment, for I have seen and heard them calling lustily, often, in the month of March, when it is the mating season. The accommodation is very basic inside the Corbett. To stay outside is to dilute it all, for Dhikala, in the centre of the core area is nearly 20 miles from the entry point.
Happy Deepawali, the festival of lights, Ladies and Gentlemen!
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Old Nov 18th, 2015, 09:39 PM
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February, March and April are the best times to see tigers in India. Although October to April is considered a good time for a wildlife experience, it is from January that the temperature starts rising. The environment therefore turns to one where there are more chances of spotting tigers in the parks.
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Old Nov 19th, 2015, 01:10 AM
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@Jenmakin : India has over 600 wildlife sanctuaries. For tigers you could try Ranthambhore, Corbett National Park, Bandhavgarh, Nagarhole etc. Each with a very different landscape.

But go to the forests for what they are. Else you may be disappointed. Tigers are not easy to spot and I know of people who have had no sightings despite 15 safaris.
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Old Nov 19th, 2015, 05:45 AM
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We were not in the least impressed with Corbett or the Indian park experience. We were there end of March, so during peak viewing season. Lots of jeeps full of noisy tourists all on the same route zooming around. And, to top it all off, a stop at the snack restaurant midway through safaris. Saw a lot of deer and peacocks but no tigers.

We were very lucky and had a 35 minute tiger spotting in March in Chitwan national Park in Nepal (on Nepal's border with India).
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Old Nov 23rd, 2015, 01:50 AM
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April to May are the best time to see tigers...
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Old Jan 25th, 2016, 07:22 AM
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thursdaysd on Nov 6, 15 at 6:48am
"I have not been to the parks in India, but every report I have read here says that if you have been to Africa (as I see by your profile you have) you will be very disappointed by the Indian parks. Both by the facilities and the sightings, or rather the lack thereof. There are many reasons to go to India, but these days I don't think big game is one of them."

As a fan of wildlife travel in both India and Eastern/Southern Africa, don't give up on India. I've had 3 breathtaking wildlife safari-type trips since 2011, all of which included tigers, and were less expensive than African safaris. You are right about April and March being good months. That is when I have gone. May is better if you can tolerate even higher temps than April.

You'll become more familiar with parks as you do more research, jenmakin.

Here's a link to a map of wildlife reserves in India to help you get your bearings.
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/wild...park-india.htm

I'll stick in 3 links to reports on the trips I made to various Indian <orange>tiger parks </orange>

1) <orange>Kanha, Bandhavgarh, </orange> Taj Mahal, <orange>Corbett </orange>-also has eles

http://safaritalk.net/topic/7066-tigers-and-then-some/



2) <orange>Bandhavgarh, </orange> Taj Mahal, Chambal River--birds & crocs plus some Non-tiger parks in Gujarat for wolves, foxes, hyenas, blackbuck, blue bull, wild asses, Asiatic lions

http://safaritalk.net/topic/8610-you...s-bears-oh-my/



3)<orange>Kaziranga</orange>--also eles & rhino & gibbons, though present, we saw no tigers here <orange>Kanha, Tadoba, Pench </orange>

http://safaritalk.net/topic/14359-st...of-wild-india/

Lastly 4 points.
1) Sorry no Ranthambore in any of the above and that is the one park you mentioned. Tends to be more crowded because of its convenient location. I'd like to try a visit there sometime, though.

2) Bandhavgarh as the tiger hotspot was no longer the almost sure thing as of March 2015, but that could have changed again.

3) All trips with with Wild World India, nature specialists in India. They also do cultural tourism.

4) While tiger sightings or anything in nature is never guaranteed, the best way to greatly increase(IMHO) your odds are (IMHO)
---a. spend enough time in the tiger parks, 4 days minimum
---b. use a reputable company so that your guides are good and that factors such as Tuesday closures in some parks and Wednesday closures in others are handled properly to minimize missed outings.
---c. go in March through May (back to your original question)


I like vp singh's description of Corbett's facilities and mating tigers.
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Old Jan 25th, 2016, 05:31 PM
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atravelynn - I agree with you about not giving up on India as a good safari destination! As you commented on my other post, you'll know that I'm postponing Botswana to November. But, as I need to satisfy my craving for some wildlife sightings, my husband and I are pretty close to booking a May trip to Corbett.

We were in Ranthambore in April last year and did 10 drives. We didn't see any tiger for the first two days and I was about to give up when on the third day I spotted a tiger resting under a tree about 200 meters from the road. From that point on, our luck turned and we saw cubs galore -- playing and feeding and just being cute.

We used a small India company called TigerWalah and the owner is a tiger fanatic. He accompanied us on our trip and we had an additional pair of spotting eyes. He was very efficient and responsive to our inquiries and I would recommend his company to anyone interested in an India safari. He also keeps a running tab of annual tiger sightings at different parks in his website, which should give a good indicator of how each park is doing.
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Old Jan 26th, 2016, 10:02 PM
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Atravelynn,apparently there have been an increase in tiger population in India and they seem to be occupying nature reserves which had not seen tigers before.Recently a male tiger has made Bannerghatta National Park,literally on the out-skirts of Bangalore,its home.

Jay a large male,has moved into Umred Karhandla Wildlife Santuary,Panjrepar very close to Nagpur,which boasts of Tadoba,a tiger haven.Its great time for tiger viewing in India.

Corbett is too huge,tigers there are a needle in a haystack.To improve ones chances,stay longer.

This clip on youtube has gone viral,quite unlike lions and other big cats in Africa which approach vehicles,its a very unnatural behavior for tigers,its very scary.


Umredhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDvWmZSrcd8
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Old Jan 30th, 2016, 05:05 AM
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Inquest, the tiger #s have been encouraging over the last several years. Give cats habitat and protection from poaching and they breed like crazy. It's what cats do. The habitat part is a big challenge, though, especially as more tigers need ever expanding habitat. But it's great the #s are going in the up direction, not down. How nice tiger are venturing into previously unoccupied reserves, as long as those reserves are not prone to poaching. When you think of the high population of India, it is impressive the amount of land the country has devoted to reserves.

Ngodeia, your post proves the importance of spending enough time in a reserve. Your patience was well rewarded. Thanks for the TigerWalah hint!
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Old Jan 30th, 2016, 10:46 AM
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We saw a tiger in each of Kanja and Corbett parks in February 2014 when the early mornings were cold indeed but afternoons sunny and warm. We enjoyed both parks a lot, perhaps Corbett more than Kanja. Stayed in Dhikala in Corbett.
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Old Jan 30th, 2016, 01:18 PM
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We had some wonderful tiger sightings in Ranthambore National Park on a trip we took in April 2008. It was worth going at this time of year but it was indeed VERY hot. The tigers were lethargic too! My husband couldn't take the afternoon ride on our second day (the heat was too much)and of course that was when we got incredibly sightings .

On another trip we went down the Brahmaputra in Assam and to Kaziranga National Park where we went out on elephant back to see rhino. As others have mentioned the Indian safaris were nothing like the trips we've taken in southern Africa but it's a different place.

In Rathambore I cannot recommend Khem Villas highly enough, here's my TA review...

"We went in April and saw a total of six tigers, in fact we saw tigers on all three of our games drives, which I had booked directly with the park over the net prior to our arrival. April was VERY hot but worth it for the game viewing.

The charm of this hotel is in both the situation, the cottages, the gardens and the food but the true draw is the charm/experience and dedication of the owners Usha and Goverdhan. We were greatly impressed by their commitment to sustainable development and their extraordinary involvement is saving the tigers through their work in the surrounding rural area.

The hotel offers and incredible opportunity to see something of development in rural India. We felt privileged to be taken by Usha to see the school and the hospital they have built in the local village. They don't push any of this at the hotel but I highly recommend asking if you can see one or more of their many social projects."

It's really an incredibly opportunity to see and learn about the relationships between ecological conservation and local siustainable development. After all we need to be concerned about those who live around the preserves too and not just the tigers.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 10:33 PM
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Referring to big cat population in India and the ever shrinking habitat,the inevitable is bound to happen.Man-animal conflict.Leopards often live near big cities in India and prey on stray dogs.
his incident is supposed to have happened yesterday at a school in Bangalore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ji5MyaLeE

The last person to be attacked by the cats is a well-known conservationist,he was extremely lucky to have got away,said to be recovering in hospital.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 10:44 PM
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oops ..meant...'the last person in the video to be attacked..'
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