Iconic wildlife species

The diversity in India’s jungles is spectacular. But seven iconic species are a big draw in wildlife tourism.

 

A young bull elephant enjoying a dust bath in the Dhikala grasslands of the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.

A mother and calf navigating the cool but fast-flowing waters of the Ramaganga river in the Corbett National Park.

Two young male Asiatic lions lead an attack on a far-off prey at the Gir national park of Gujarat. Living in prides, lions usually hunt together to bring down large herbivores.

A young male Asiatic lion in the Gir National Park looks back at an escaped prey. In the dry deciduous forests of Gujarat, food is not easy to find.

The leopard, known for its stealthy habits and camouflage techniques, is in its element when in the jungles of Ranthambhore where it is extremely difficult to sight.

At Jawai, the Leopard is seen its lair which happens to be the hollow caverns in a hillock. In this part of the world, the leopard is mostly nocturnal.

Short sized horns, a massive neck and alert eyes make the gaur look formidable.

Even when resting, the gaur can be easily identified by its immense athletic build and powerful presence.

A male water buffalo with sweeping horns walks out wary after a mud bath in the Kaziranga National Park. Buffalos love wallowing in liquid mud to get rid of insects.

The setting sun highlights the tiger’s orange hide with its emphatic stripes as it cools off in the running waters of the Ramganga river in the Corbett National Park.

Short-tempered and irritable nature, the one-horned Indian rhinoceros stands its ground when it encounters tourists on open-top Gypsy in the Kaziranga National Park.

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The One-Horned Indian Rhinocerous has been regularly hunted for its horn as it is presumed to be aphrodisiac. Here the cattle egrets keep company with an old male rhinoceros as it grazes in Kaziranga National Park.