I heard lions and tigers are sometimes hard to locate in the Indian wild. In which game reserve or national park is one likely to spot that rare lion or tiger in the wild? I'm not talking about the tame tigers or lions in zoos but the real cats in their natural habitats.
The most obvious choices if you are coming to North India are Ranthambore, Sariska or Jim Corbett. There is a travelogue for Ranthambore that you may find interesting. Spotting a tiger mostly depends on your guide's skills and your luck really. Some one could be going to one of these national parks every single day for two weeks and still won't see a tiger where as you might get lucky on the first day itself. Besides the ones I have listed you could check this thread about best places to see a tiger in India which lists the best wild life reserves where you can see a tiger with relative ease. Wildlife parks in general are best seen in winters because in summers it is just too hot for comfort.
Down South India, your best bet to spot tigers is the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Another good choice for big cats sighting can be the Periyar Tiger Reserve. For lion sightings, no other wildlife sanctuary in India can compete with the Gir National Park in Gujarat. Gir is the original habitat for the famed Asiatic Lions and you won't find them anywhere else in the world. Regards, Deb
Hello there! The best national parks or reserves to see tigers in India are: Bandhavgarh National Park - There are about 100 tigers residing here. The possibility of seeing tigers in this national park is quite high. There's an estimated one tiger for every four kilometres here so the likelihood of spotting one is good. Because of the smaller area of the park, you have a higher density for spotting tigers as well. The address is: Village and Post Office Tala, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Umaria, Madhya Pradesh - 484664. Kanha National Park - This is one the largest national parks in India. It has an area of around 1,940 square kilometres. At the latest count, there are bout 131 tigers in the park. You can easily spot maybe two to four tigers in a given day in Kanha National Park. If you're lucky, you might even spot a group of tigers. Jim Corbett National Park - With about 160 tigers, it's highly likely to see tigers in the Jim Corbett National Park. This is also the oldest national park in India. There are different zones here but the best zones for tiger spotting are: Dhikala, Bhijrani and Sonandi. Ranthambore National Park - The famous Machali or T-16 can be found in this national park. Along with her, there are other famous tigers that can be easily spotted in the park. In 2005, there were about 20 to 27 tigers in the park although their exact numbers aren't known. Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve - There are about 80 tigers here and sightings are quite high. The tiger most commonly seen here is named Maya. If you're lucky, you might be able to see her as well. Now, for the best national parks or reserves to see lions in India: Gir National Park - This is the home to the largest number of Asiatic lions in the world. There were about 523 Asiatic lions last 2015 in the national park. They were once in the brink of extinction but thankfully, through the efforts of the conservation department, their numbers have increased steadily. Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary - Since this is very close to the Gir National Park, some Asiatic lions wander into this park as well. If you're lucky, you might be able to spot them here. There you go. I hope this helps!
