MAMMAL WATCHING.COM
 

Home Country Guides: Books, links and trip reports whale and dolphin watchingFocus on Australia Mammal watching: Some tipsWorldwide Mammal Info: Books and links with a global coverage Mammal Watching Blog: Read and Subscribeme and my mammal watching

I have visited India three times. In June 1997 I spent time in Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Corbett National Parks. In February 2007 I spent a week in Gujurat, plus two days around Agra looking for River Dolphins (see the 2007 Trip Report). And in December 2008 I spent a few days in Assam (see the 2008 Trip Report).

Assam (2008)
Wild Water Buffalo, Kaziranga National Park

Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 night in December 2008. Hoolock Gibbon, Capped Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, Elephant, Malayan Giant Squirrel, Pallas's Squirrel and Common Palm Civet.

Kaziranga National Park, 2 nights in December 2008. Gangetic River Dolphin, Hog Deer, Swamp Deer, Wild Water Buffalo, Common Palm Civet, Elephant, Rhesus Macaque, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Rhino, Hoary-bellied Squirrel, Wild Boar, Smooth-coated Otter, Dawn Bat.

Manas National Park, 1 night in December 2008. Wild Boar, Capped Langur, Hoary-bellied Squirrel, Dhole, Sambar, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Indian Hare and Gaur. Pygmy Hogs are quite possible here, but only after the grass has been burnt and it was unusual for me not to have seen an Indian Porcupine.

See the 2008 Trip Report.

Gujurat (2007)

Gir National Park, 1 night in February 2007. Chowsingha, Lion, Leopard, Southern Plains Grey Langur, Jackal, Chinkara, Chital, Sambar and Nilgai.

Great Rann of Kutch, 2 nights in February 2007, in the fabulous CEDO camp. Indian Hare, Indian Gerbil, Little Indian Field Mouse, Indian Bush Rat, Lesser Bandicoot Rat, Indian Hedgehog, Greater Mouse-tailed Bat, Jungle Cat, Chinkara, Nilgai, House Mouse, Sand-coloured Rat, Indian Desert Jird, Grey Mongoose, Indian Fox, Indian Jackal and what might be the first record of a Leopard Cat for the province.

Little Rann of Kutch, 2 nights in February 2007. Abundant Wild Ass and Nilgai. Wild Boar, Jackals, Hares and small mammals generally seem quite common (the only two specied definitely IDd though were Indian Gerbil and House Shrews). Also saw a Jungle Cat.

Velavadar, 1 night in February 2007. Striped Hyena, which are apparently easy to see here, as are Wolves. Nilgai, Jungle Cat, Wild Boar, Grey Mongoose.

See the 2007 Trip Report.

Madhya Pradesh (1997)

I enjoyed the couple of weeks I spent in Madhya Pradesh in June 1997. The park authorities are quite – no, make that painfully – bureaucratic and spotlighting is not allowed in most parks. That said, the guys in Bandhavgarh could easily be persuaded to take a vehicle out around the outside of the park with a spotlight which was fairly productive.

Seeing a Tiger in the wild is of course a highlight. But the parks I visited were very focused on Tiger watching. And it took me a long time to persuade the guides that much as I loved seeing Tigers, I was also interested in seeing other things, and that we didn’t need to spend all of every game drive staking out the big cats.
 
Bandhavgarh National Park
, 3 nights, June 1997 – Indian Hare (while spotlighting), Indian Gerbil (while spotlighting), Ruddy Mongoose, TIger, Bengal Fox (while spotlighting), Grey (Indian) Wolf, Big-Eared Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus luctus – in a well known cave), Northern Plains Grey Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Indian Muntjac, Sambar, Chital, Indian Gazelle (while spotlighting), Nilgai. Dhole are reputedly quite common here, though I didn't see any.

Kanha National Park, 3 nights June 1997 - Golden Jackal, TIger, Indian Flying Fox, Northern Plains Grey Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Indian Muntjac, Sambar, Swamp Deer (hard ground subspecies), Chital, Blackbuck, Gaur.


Southern Plains Grey Langur, Gir NP

Rajasthan (2007)

Bharatpur, 1 night 2007. A fruitless hunt for a Fishing Cat took me to Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park). But I did a Grey Mongoose, Indian Hare, Jackal, Chital, Sambar, Nilgai and a Great Asian Yellow House Bats (Scotophilus heathii) at the hotel.

See the 2007 Trip Report.


Indian Hare

Uttaranchal (1997)

Corbett National Park, 3 nights in June 1997  – Indian Hare (red-tailed race Ruficaudatus), probable Indian Field Mouse, Jungle Cat, Tiger (1 briefly), Asiatic Black Bear (mother with cubs - very lucky to see this species, rather unusual in summer), Tarai Grey Langur (a recent splitand I guess this is the species here), Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Indian Muntjac, Sambar, Chital, Hog Deer, Goral (distant views after a long drive), Asian Elephant, Northern Palm Squirrel.


Northern (Five Striped) Palm Squirrel

Uttar Pradesh (2007)

Chambal National Park, 1 night in February 2007 (at the Chambal Safari Camp). Gangetic River Dolphins, Common Palm Civet, Indian Fox, Rhesus Macaque (in Agra), Indian Flying Fox and Five-striped Palm Squirrel.

See the 2007 Trip Report.


Common Palm Civet

My More Detailed Trip Reports
Assam (2008): 4 days and 21 species including Hoolock Gibbons, Capped Langurs, Wild Water Buffalo and Gangetic River Dolphins.

Gujurat (2007): 9 days and 36 species including Onagers, Asian Lions and a Striped Hyena.

Other People's Trip Reports
Ladakh 2008: Phil Telfer, 2 weeks and only a few mammals ...but one of them was a Snow Leopard!

India (North, Central and Western) 2007: Steve Anyon-Smith, 1 month and 36 mammals including Wild Ass, Sloth Bear, Wolf and many Tigers.

India, Gujurat 2004: Mike Prince, 1 week and some nice mammals including Wild Ass, Asiatic Lion and Striped Hyena.

India, Southern 2002: Susan Myers, 2 weeks and 14 species.

India (northwest and northeast) 2001: Don Roberson, 1 month and 27 mammals.

India (Kanha), 2000: Richard Webb, 1 week and 18 species.

Bhutan Borneo China hong kong india Indonesia peninsula malaysia nepal sri lanka Sulawesi Thailand Vietnammy Oriental life list whale watching in the orient
 
afrotropical australasian nearctic neotropical oriental palearctic