This time my another main objective to visit India was to explore the great Indian wild life treasures, besides my official work. Being a great admirer of Indian wild life like Royal Bengal tiger, a great Indian one-horned rhino, a magnificent Indian elephant and any program or pictures of these magnificent beasts always enthralled me. I had never known mammals so royal and so charming. A real rendezvous with these majestic mammals was my most precious dream, at last it came out to be true when I landed at New Delhi airport.

In my 10 days long stay in India I visited Corbett National Park, Ranthambore National Parks in Rajasthan, and Kaziranga in Assam in the eastern part of India.

As I am a frequent visitor to India I knew all whereabouts, where to go what to do. As a part of the wild life tour the first place I visited was Jim Corbett National Park, the surrounding of all the tales written on the man-eaters of Kumaon.

Corbett National Park is situated in the foothills of Central Himalayas in the state of Uttranchal in north of India, rich in both flora and fauna. I took a rail coach to Ramnagar, it took app. 8 hrs to reach the town. As the train approached the hilly terrain I could feel the splendorous fragrance of the Pam and Sal trees in the air. After reaching Ramnagar I took a coach to the park. I stayed over night at the Quality Inn Corbett Jungle Resort. The resort is well equipped by all modern facilities. It had a fine Indian and continental cuisine and a beautiful lobby. I came to know the hotel also organize elephant safari and fishing.

Morning I took a permit at Project tiger office to see these wild reserves. I opted for a elephant safari, as it was a fun to watch animals from a raised platform. My guide told me, the park is also an abode to animals like panther, sloth bear, sambhar, swamp deer and birds like Jungle fowl, khaleeh pheasant, peafowl and many others.

I was spellbound at the sights of a tiger stalking and garbing its prey. It was amazing to see that how much co-ordination of time and surrounding is important for one such hunting. I had a lot of fun as I snapped the photographs of some of these rare moments in Jim Corbett National Park. I was impressed to know that the Project Tiger Scheme was inaugurated at this park in 1973.

After a daylong elephant safari with my guide I returned to the forest guesthouse with some splendid memories.

My next destination was Kaziranga National Park, situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River in Assam in east of India. Kaziranga National Park is famous for the stronghold of the armored one-horned Indian Rhinoceros. The Sanctuary provides unique surroundings for a view of its best-known wild life including birds.

I boarded a flight to Guwahati's Borjhar Airport, 239 km from Kaziranga. From there many tourist buses run for the park. My journey was quite entertaining as I met a group of college students in the bus who gave me much information about the Indian wild as well as the rich culture of India. I could learn few lines of Indian movie songs also. They also told me that the visitors to the Kaziranga National Park are required to register at the Tourist Center in the Bonani Tourist Lodge while entering the park.

I booked my stay with Wild Grass Resort and Behora Tea Garden 35 kms from Kohora. Basically a nature lover I enjoyed my stay at a tea gardens of Assam, my pleasure was doubled due to the excellent warm reception extended by the Dowerahs. It was a long tiring journey and I could enjoy a sound sleep only after a delicious food and hot bath.

In morning along with my bus friends I took elephant safari. Our guide told us many facts about Rhinoceros a Unicorns. This great Indian one-horned rhino weights up to more than two tons. With its armor-plating hide and its 24" long horn made of compressed hair the rhino can turn a four-wheeled upside down when furious. It was really sad to know that once the ruler of wetlands of northeast India was hunted mercilessly and was at the verge of extinction. We were informed that due to the measures taken up by Indian government the species have risen in number. It was really a magnificent site to watch these animals grazing in the green meadows with their little ones.

Besides this gigantic mammal park also treasures wild buffaloes, tigers, adjutants, fish eagles, Pelicans, hornbills and storks. Later in evening we were taken to the museum at Kanha depicting activities of the park and tribal culture. We were lucky to enjoy the museum being Sundays as it is closed every Wednesday.

Overwhelmed by my encountering with tigers and rhinos, I set for my next trip to Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. I return to New Delhi to take a rail coach for Sawai Madhour town, which is 12km from the Park. After reaching the town I took a cab which is readily available at the station.

From the brochures I came to know that the park was established as a sanctuary in 1959 and included in the very first phase of Project Tiger in 1972. In 1981 Ranthambore was awarded National Park status. The park enjoys the pleasure of having a very high density of tiger population. The amazing sight of the majestic tiger amidst the dry deciduous forest dotted with Pine trees, Banyan and Dhok trees left me wonder stuck, thinking that how we human can be so cruel to bring these charming animals to the face of extinction. There are about 25 tigers and 40 leopards in the reserve from what I could enjoy the sight of 4, baptized in their own world of freedom.

In way I could enjoy the glimpse of birds and reptiles including the marsh crocodile and amphibians. I was encounter with the fact that there are 272 species of birds and reptiles in the park besides sambar, chital, nilgai, mongoose, Indian chinkara and monitor lizards. It was worth watching the animals in their varied mood, some were bathing in the waters while others were cooling off in the shades.

The guide also took me to the famous Ranthambore Fort inside the park perched on a hill. I was totally amazed to see the second largest Banyan tree in India, a huge tree with its roots hanged down from its branches. The park also organizes night camps inside the park under the open sky with bonfire. It was really thrilling experience to be in the park amidst the wilds.

During my complete tour the guides aquatinted me with many facts with respect to the tiger. India's treasure of wild life does not end in these mammals rather it is an abundant reservoir of inexhaustible fauna and flora.

Absolutely it has been a tour full of thrill and moments of rhapsody, a cherished reminiscence that will be preserved forever in my mind.