India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [447]
Wanted: Tigers
Project Tiger was a conservation initiative launched by Indira Gandhi, the late Indian prime minister, in 1973. Sadly it’s central mission—to not only halt but boost the fast declining number of Bengal tigers in India—has been a failure, as the program has failed to prevent India’s tiger population from plummeting to 1,411 (census data from Feb 2008): down from 3,642 in 2002, and an estimated 40,000 a century ago. The decline is largely as a result of poaching, but sadly mismanagement has also played a role, as evidenced recently when the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) airlifted three Bengal tigers (two females and a male) by helicopter from Ranthambore reserve to nearby Sariska, which has been tigerless for the past 4 years. A method developed in South Africa by pioneer conservationist Ian Player, this is the first relocation of its kind in India, and part of the WII £93 million emergency plan to revive the flagging population. However, recent DNA samples taken from the three tigers (to see whether they needed to bring in tigers from other parts of the country) have indicated that all three tigers are likely siblings, thereby drastically reducing their chances of becoming successful long-term breeding partners.
Essentials
VISITOR INFORMATION The wildlife office is located at the main gate on National Highway 11 ( 05644/22-2777). Entry is Rs 200 per person, Rs 200 per video camera. To really get into the excitement of birding, you should borrow a copy of Sálim Ali’s The Book of Indian Birds (OUP India), or Rajpul Singh’s Birds of Bharatpur, and start ticking off those sightings! If you’re staying at The Bagh (reviewed below), you’ll find an excellent range of guides, including several copies of Krys Kazmierczak’s A Field Guide to the Birds of India.
GETTING THERE Bharatpur is a 41⁄2-hour drive from Delhi; it’s 55km (34 miles) west of Agra and 175km (108 miles) east of Jaipur. If you travel by train from Delhi, it will take 21⁄2 hours by the convenient Kota Janshatabdi; it takes a little over 2 hours for this train to link you with Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore National Park). From Agra, the Marudhar Express gets you here in just 55 minutes.
GETTING AROUND Park hours are 6:30am to 5pm in winter, and 6am to 6pm in summer. You can set off on foot or rent your own bicycle near the entrance to the park (Rs 25 per hour; some rental shops ask that you leave your passport or a deposit of no more than Rs 500), but roads aren’t great and you will often find yourself on foot, actually burdened by the bike, especially if you try to traverse the dirt tracks. You can explore certain areas by boat (Rs 100), though if the drought persists, these will continue to be out of operation. The best way to get around the park is with a cycle-rickshaw or horse-drawn tonga (Rs 100 per hour); many of the rickshaw-wallas have spent years trundling visitors around and now have a good knowledge of the birdlife as well as keen eyesight (though a less than satisfactory command of English). If you want them to double as guides, they will expect a tip (Rs 200 is fair, depending on how long you use them). Official guides (Rs 200 per hour) carrying binoculars are also available at the entrance to the park; in a rather unwieldy arrangement, they travel alongside on their bicycles. The park now offers battery-operated minibus tours and electric auto-rickshaw rides through the park; these are considerably quieter than you might imagine; a 90-minute ride costs Rs 250.
Where to Stay & Dine
The Bagh The Bagh is a truly classy, good-value oasis, and a perfect base—not only from which to explore the bird sanctuary, but as an alternative to busy, overrun Agra. The resort layout emphasizes space, peace, and privacy, and once you step through