Fauna in Tadoba

Tadoba national park is one of the largest wildlife parks in Maharashtra. Spread across a massive 625 sq. km., it is one of the best places in the state to watch the Royal Bengal Tiger in the wild. It is aptly known as the ‘Land of the Tigers’ since close to 90 tigers are in the Park. Though tigers are the major attraction of the National Park, a large variety of fauna is found here. Apart from the national animal, the Park boasts of a plethora of mammals, birds, reptiles that can be seen.

Here is a briefof the various fauna that can be seen at Tadoba national park :

Since it is one of the national parks that is a part of Project Tiger, the national animal is why most tourists make a beeline to Tadoba. However, the National Park is also home to several other mammals. Some of the mammalian species can be easily spotted, while others may be more elusive. The other mammals that can be seen by visitors at Tadoba include sloth bear, jungle cat, sambar, Indian leopard, nilgai, honey badger, small Indian civet, barking deer, striped hyena, chital, gaur, dhole, spotted deer, chausingha, wild boar, porcupines, common langurs, Indian pangolins, flying squirrel, chinkara, blue bull, wolf, jackal, fox, rhesus macaque, rusty-spotted cat, leopard cat, etc.

The Park is home to several reptiles, some of which can easily be spotted near watering holes like marsh crocodiles. Other reptilian species that inhabit the Tadoba region are common Indian monitor, Indian star tortoise, Russel’s viper, Indian python, terrapins, Indian cobra, krait, rat snake, bronze tree snake, leaf-nosed snake,among many other.

If tigers are not enough attraction for you, Tadoba is a birdwatcher’s paradise. The National Park is home to more than 195 species of birds, including several water birds and raptors. If you are lucky, you might even be able to spot the three highly endangered species that are present here. Some of the avian species found in the Park include Grey-headed fish eagle, Crested serpent eagle, Changeable hawk-eagle, Asian Paradise flycatcher, Indian pitta, peacock, Black-naped blue flycatcher, warblers, Stone curlew, Orange-Headed Thrush, Crested Treeswift, Crested Honey Buzzard, Bronze-Winged Jacana, Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, shy jungle fowl, Malabar pied hornbill, Indian scimitar babbler, painted Francolin, Tickell’s blue flycatcher, golden oriole, mottled wood owl, brown fish owl, plum headed parakeet, Gray jungle fowl, drongos, larks, munias, Bonelli’s eagle, pipits, etc.

Several insects are also found in the dense forests of Tadoba. These include more than 74 species of butterflies, the commonest ones being Monarch, Pansies, Mormons, and Swordtails. Other endangered insect species that can be found here include danaid egg fly and great egg fly. Some of the common insects residing in the Park include praying mantis, stick insects, dragonflies, Jewel beetles, etc. In addition, there are several species of spiders present in the forest, including giant wood spiders, signature spiders, redwood spiders, andhunting spiders like lynx spiders, crab spiders, wolf spiders, etc.

Though it is not easy for a first-time visitor to spot all these animals on their own, with the help of a trained guide, your trip to Tadoba national park might be worth the time and money. Though spotting the Royal Bengal Tiger is the key highlight of any national park visit, spotting other elusive wildlife can be an exhilarating experience in itself.