India
I have visited India six times. In June 1997 I spent a couple of weeks 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. In December 2008 I spent a few days in Assam. And in October 2011 I spent two weeks in the south after a day in Mumbai. I was back in 2012 for work in Delhi but squeezed in a day trip to Agra to seem some bats (see Uttar Pradesh below). And in 2014 I returned for a two week pilgrimage to Leh in search of Snow Leopards.
Assam (2008)
Indian Rhino, Rhinoceros unicornis, Kaziranga National Park
Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
Hoolock Gibbon, Hoolock hoolock
I spent a night here in December 2008 and saw Hoolock Gibbon, Capped Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, Elephant, Malayan Giant Squirrel, Pallas’s Squirrel and Common Palm Civet. See my 2008 trip report.
Kaziranga National Park
Wild Water Buffalo, Bubalis arnee
I spent two nights here in December 2008. The mammals included 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. See my 2008 trip report.
Manas National Park
Capped Langur, Trachypithecus pileatus
I spent a night here in December 2008 and saw 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. It was unusual that I missed an Indian Porcupine. See my 2008 trip report.
Gujurat (2007)
Asiatic Wild Ass, Equus hemionus, Little Rann of Kutch
Gir National Park
Asian Lion, Panthera leo persica
I spent a night here in February 2007. I found Chowsingha, Lion, Leopard, Black-footed (Southern Plains) Grey Langur, Jackal, Chinkara, Chital, Sambar and Nilgai. See my 2007 trip report.
Great Rann of Kutch
Lesser Bandicoot Rat, Bandicoota bengalensis
I stayed for two nights in February 2007, at the fabulous CEDO camp. We saw 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 an Asiatic (Desert) Wildcat. See my 2007 trip report.
Little Rann of Kutch
Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
I was here for two nights in February 2007. There were abundant Wild Ass and Nilgai. Wild Boar, Jackals, Indian Hares and small mammals generally seem quite common (the only two species I definitely IDd were Indian Gerbil and House Shrews). I also saw a Jungle Cat. See my 2007 trip report.
Velavadar
Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra
I was here for a night in February 2007. I saw a Striped Hyena, which are apparently easy to see here, as are Wolves. Nilgai, Jungle Cat, Wild Boar and Grey Mongoose. See my 2007 trip report.
Jammu & Kashmir (and Ladakh) (2014)
Blue Sheep, Pseudois nayaur
Hemis National Park
Snow Leopard, Panthera uncia
I was here for 10 days in October 2014. and saw Mountain Weasels, Woolly Hares, Wolves, Blue Sheep, Large-eared and Nubra Pikas, Stone Marten and, the big one, a Snow Leopard. See my 2014 trip report.
Leh
Woolly Hare, Lepus oiostolus
During two nights acclimatising in Leh in October 2014 we saw Wolves, Ladakh Urials, Woolly Hares and Red Foxes. See my 2014 trip report.
Karnataka (2011)
Sloth Bears, Melursus ursinus, Daroji
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
I spent an afternoon here in October 2011 and saw Sloth Bears and a Three-lined Palm Squirrel. See my 2011 trip report.
Kerala (2011)
Nilgiri Tahr, Hemitragus hylocrius, Eravikulam National Park
I spent 10 days in Kerala in October 2011.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,
Grizzled (Sri Lankan) Giant Squirrel, Ratufa macroura
I spent a night here in October 2011 and saw Chital, Sambar, Northern Red Muntjac, Tufted Grey Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Gaur, Black-naped Hare, Sambar , Rat sp, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Jungle Striped Squirrel and Wild Boar. See my 2011 trip report.
Eravikulam National Park
Nilgiri Tahr, Hemitragus hylocrius
During a short three hour stop here in October 2011 I found Nilgiri Tahrs were extremely easy to see. There are Bonnet Macaques here too. See my 2011 trip report.
Pampadum Shola National Park
Gaur, Bos gaurus
During two nights in October 2011. I didn’t see a Nilgiri Marten here, but did see plenty of Malabar (Indian) Giant Squirrels, Nilgiri Langurs and Bonnet Macaques as well as a Brown Palm Civet, Sambar and Gaurs during a spotlighting drive. I caught Nilgri Highland and House Shrews as well as a House Mouse and Rattus rattus around the hotel. See my 2011 trip report.
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
Nilgri Langur, trachypithecus johnii
I was here for two nights in October 2011. A beautiful park with a fabulously quiet tree top cabin to sleep in. I saw Sambar, Chital, Nilgiri Langurs, Grey Langur (tufted?) (four kms down the road in Anamalai), Bonnet Macaques, Gaur, Wild Boar, Jungle Striped Squirrel, Dusky Striped Squirrel, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Indian Giant Flying Squirrels, Black-naped Hare, Indian Mouse Deer, Malabar Red Muntjac, Leopard and Rufous Horseshoe Bats. See my 2011 trip report.
Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary
I was here for a night in October 2011. It is a very small park but supposedly one of the better places for Travancore Flying Squirrels. We heard several but couldn’t see any. See my 2011 trip report.
Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary
Black-footed Grey Langurs, Semnopithecus hypoleucos
I was here for a night in October 2011 and had just a short stop over at Waynand where I saw an Indian Giant Flying Squirrel and then saw the target Black-footed Grey Langurs at Tholpetty. See my 2011 trip report.
Madhya Pradesh (1997)
Tiger, Panthera tigris, Bandhavgarh National Park
I enjoyed the couple of weeks I spent in Madhya Pradesh in June 1997, my first visit to India. 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 overly 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
Tiger, Panthera tigris
During three nights in June 1997 I saw Indian Indian Hare (while spotlighting), Indian Gerbil (while spotlighting), Ruddy Mongoose, Tiger, Bengal Fox (while spotlighting), Grey (Indian) Wolf, Blyth’s Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus lepidus – in a well known cave in the park), Northern Plains Grey Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Northern Red Muntjac, Sambar, Chital, Indian Gazelle (while spotlighting), Nilgai. Dhole are reputedly quite common here, though I didn’t see any.
Kanha National Park
Gaur, Bos gaurus
I was here for three nights June 1997 and found Golden Jackal, TIger, Indian Flying Fox, Northern Plains Grey Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Northern Red Muntjac, Sambar, Swamp Deer (the hard-ground subspecies), Chital, Blackbuck and Gaur.
Maharashtra (2011)
Greater False Vampire Bat, Lyroderma lyra, Elephanta Caves
Mumbai
Schneider’s Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros speoris
I visited for a day in 2011. I spent the morning in Elephanta Caves, where there were plenty of Bonnet Macaques on the island, as well as two groups of Asiatic Greater Yellow House Bats, a colony of Fulvous and Schneider’s Leaf-nosed Bats and a small group of Greater False-Vampire Bats in the caves.
In the afternoon I visited Kanheri Caves in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. I could only find a couple of Tomb Bats (probably Taphozous melanopogon), as well as many Bonnet Macaques, a few Rhesus Macaques, a Black-footed (Southern Plains) Grey Langur and a striped squirrel (probably Jungle Striped Squirrel Funambulus tristriatus). In Mumbai itself there were plenty of Indian Flying Foxes. The medium sized Fruit Bats feeding in trees near the Homian Circle Gardens must have been Fulvous Fruit bats Rousettus leschenaulti. See my 2011 Trip Report.
Rajasthan (2007)
Greater Asiatic Yellow House Bat, Scotophilus heathii, Bharatpur
Bharatpur
Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
I was here for a night in 2007. A fruitless hunt for a Fishing Cat took me to Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park). But I did see a Grey Mongoose, Indian Hare, Jackal, Chital, Sambar, Nilgai and Greater Asian Yellow House Bats (Scotophilus heathii) at the hotel. See my 2007 Trip Report.
Tamil Nadu (2011)
Lion-tailed Macaque, Macaca silenu, Valparai
Valparai
Jungle Striped Squirrel, Funambulus tristriatus
I was here for two nights in October 2011, which produced Lion Tailed Macaques, Nilgiri Langurs, Bonnet Macaques, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Jungle Striped Squirrel, Wild Boar, Indian Elephant, Gaur, Sambar, Black-naped Hare, Grey and Ruddy Mongooses and we caught Earth-coloured Mice and Black Rats. See my 2011 Trip Report.
Uttaranchal (1997)
Jungle Cat, Felis chase, Corbett National Park
Corbett National Park
Hog Deer, Hyelaphus porcinus
I spent my first three nights in Indian national parks here in June 1997 and saw Indian Hare (red-tailed race Ruficaudatus), probable Indian Field Mouse, Jungle Cat, Tiger (just one briefly), Asiatic Black Bear (a mother with cubs and I was very lucky to see this species, especially in summer), Tarai Grey Langur (a recent split and I guess this is the species here), Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Northern Red Muntjac, Sambar, Chital, Hog Deer, Himalayan Goral (distant views after a long drive), Asian Elephant, Northern Palm Squirrel.
Uttar Pradesh (2007 and 2012)
Naked-rumped Tomb Bat, Taphozous nudiventris, Agra
Agra
Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma hardwickii
In October 2012 I visited the Agra Fort specifically to see Naked-rumped Tomb Bats as well as Lesser Mouse-tailed Bats. The former were easy to see in the ground level rooms on the Taj side of the fort. The latter are reputedly common in underground rooms now closed to the public, though I found a lone animal in a room near the well on the ground floor. I also saw Northern Palm Squirrels and Rhesus Macaques.
Chambal National Park
South Asian (Gangetic) River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica
I was here for a night in February 2007 (at the Chambal Safari Camp) and saw Gangetic River Dolphins, Common Palm Civet, Indian Fox, Rhesus Macaque (in Agra), Indian Flying Fox and Five-striped Palm Squirrel. See my 2007 Trip Report.
Community Reports
The World’s Best Mammalwatching
It is tough to pick just one destination from incredible India. But I think it has to be Hemis National Park in Ladakh. Although Snow Leopard sightings are now popping up regularly in trip reports from Mongolia, China and recently Tajikistan it was not always so. Fifteen years ago I could count on one hand – actually on one finger – how many people I knew who had seen a Snow Leopard: Richard Webb. And then the unthinkable happened: a group of local spotters in Hemis National Park in Ladakh discovered that, if they looked long and hard enough at the mountain slopes, they could regularly spot the grey ghost of the Himalayas. The rest is history. I finally visited in 2014, on a trip well organized by Exotic Travel. Seeing a Snow Leopard was every bit as exciting as I hoped it would be, the scenery every bit as beautiful, and the camp every bit as cold. See more of the World’s Best Mammalwatching.
Community Reports
Ladakh, December 2023: Chris D, 11 days & 13 species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat, Argali and Tibetan Gazelle.
Tadoba and Pench, March 2023: Mark Hows, 1 week & 23 species including Four-horned Antelope, Indian Treeshrew and Tiger.
Southern India, 2023: Mike Hoit, 2 weeks & 39 species including Dhole, Brown Palm Civet and Malabar Grey Slender Loris.
Eastern Himalaya, 2023: Bird Tour Asia, 3 weeks & 24 species including Tiger and a stunning Asian Golden Cat.
Hemis NP and the Hanley Changthang Plateau, Ladakh, 2023: Phunchok Tsering’s summary of three trips featuring species including Snow Leopard, Lynx and Argali.
Eagle’s Nest, 2023: Jens Hauser, 5 days & 17 species including Arunachal Macaque, Capped Langur and several giant flying squirrel species.
Cat Quest: Eagle’s Nest, Pench and and the Rann of Kutch, 2023: Janco van Gelderen, 40+ species including Arunachal Macaque, Rusty-spotted Cat, Dhole and Striped Hyena.
Tiger Wars in Tadoba National Park, 2023: John Weir’s fascinating report of conflict between Tigers in the park. Great photos too.
Panna & Kaziranga National Parks, 2023: Simon van der Meulen, 3 weeks & 30 species including Black-capped Langur, Western Hoolock Gibbon and Tiger.
Northeast India, 2023: Sophie, Manuel and Sam Baumgartner, 16 days & 25 species including Golden Langur, Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel and a Spotted Linsang.
Gir, Satpura, Pench and Tadoba NPs, 2023: Karl Van Ginderdeuren’s photos and report with species including Tiger, Sloth Bear, Chousingha & Dhole.
Ladakh, Eaglenest and Manas National Park, 2023: Andreas Jonsson, 24 days & 36 species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat, Gee´s Golden Langur & Bhutan Flying Squirrel.
Kabini, 2023: Yashas Narayan, 8 days & 8 species including Tiger, Dhole & Leopard.
Western Ghats, 2023: John Wright, 15 days & 39 species including Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr & Brown Palm Civet.
Gir, Velvadar and Kutch, November 2022: Mark Hows, 2 weeks & 29 species including Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena and Lion.
Rumbak Valley & Hanle, Ladakh, February 2022: Brecht Verhelst, 2 weeks & 12 species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat, Tibetan Fox and Tibetan Gazelle.
Ladakh, 2022: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 2 weeks & 17 species including Tibetan Fox, Tibetan Gazelle and Pallas’s Cat.
Gujurat and Tadoba NP, 2022: Samuel Marlin with Royle Safaris, 2 weeks & 25 species including Tiger, Lion, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena and Indian Treeshrew.
Pench NP, 2022: Atif Hashmi, 3 days & 15 species including multiple Tigers, Dhole and Four-horned Antelope.
Panna National Park, 2022: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 4 days & 20 species including Rusty-spotted Cat, Tiger and Sloth Bear.
Eaglesnest WLS and Kaziranga NP, 2022: Stuart Chapman and Ficus Wildlife Tours, 1 week & 25 species including Bhutan Flying Squirrel, Arunchal and Assamese Macaques, Western Hoolock Gibbon and an Asiatic Golden Cat.
Ladakh, 2022: Jerry Swift, 2.5 weeks and some great species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat and Lynx.
Western Uttar Pradesh, 2021 : Adit Nehra, 1 week & 3 species including a good site for Indian Crested Porcupine in a very populous area.
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, 2021: Ficus Wildlife Tours, a brief visit & 7 species including Sloth Bear and Grizzled Giant Squirrel.
Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, 2020: Simon Steiner, 1 week or so with mammals including 5 Snow Leopards, Wolf and Blue Sheep (and fabulous photos).
Himalayan Serow at Pangot, Uttarakhand, June 2020: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 3 days & 9 species including Himalayan Serow and Yellow-throated Marten.
Assam, 2020: Cheryl Antonucci, 2 weeks & 25 species including Golden and Capped Langurs, Himalayan Black Bear and a Lesser Bandicoot Rat.
Gujurat, Kaziranga and central India, 2020: John Weir, 4 weeks & 44 species including Rusty-spotted Cat and Striped Hyena.
Arunuchal Pradesh, Western Ghats and Gujurat, 2020: Andreas Jonsson, 3 weeks & 49 species including Binturong, Striped Hyena, Bhutan, Spotted and Particolored Flying Squirrels and much more. See here for Ficus Wildlife Tours report of the Kutch & Velavadar section.
Northern India, 2020: Marc Tessier, 2 weeks & 23 species including Tiger, Striped Hyena, Goral and Himalayan Serow.
Kutch & Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, 2020: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 1 week & 13 species including Desert Wild Cat.
Corbett and Chambal, 2020: Asian Adventures, 1 week with mammals including Tiger and Gangetic River Dolphin.
Assam, 2020: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 5 days & 20 species including Golden Langur, Stump-tailed Macaque and Western Hoolock Gibbon.
Western Ghats, 2020: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 4 days & 21 species including Brown Palm Civet, Lion-tailed Macaque and Nilgri Tahr.
Ladakh, 2020: Marco and Paola, 3 weeks & 13 species including Pallas’s Cat, Lynx and Snow Leopard.
Rajasthan Leopard Tour, 2020: Asian Adventures, 1 week and some nice mammals including several Leopards and a Striped HyenaTadoba National Park, 2019: Miles Foster, 10 days & 12 species including Dhole, Sloth Bear, Tiger and Indian Tree Shrew.
Manas National Park, 2019: Ficus Wildlife Tours, 5 days & 14 species including Capped Langur and Assamese Macaque.
Anamalai Tiger Reserve, 2019 : Ficus Wildlife Tours, 4 days & 15 species including Jungle Striped Squirrel and Sloth Bear.
Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, 2019: Rauno Väisänen, 2 weeks & 13 or so species including Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel, Arunachal Macaque and Western Hoolock Gibbon.
Ladakh, summer 2019: Naturetrek, 14 days & 10 species including Urial, Argali and Kiang.
Gujurat, 2019: Naturetrek, 14 days & 20 species including Asiatic Lion, Leopard and Striped Hyena.
Ladakh, summer 2019: Manuel Ruedi, 3 weeks & 19 species including Pallas’s Cat, Lynx and Argali.
Kaziranga and Bandhavgarh, 2019: Bob Shipbaugh, 11 days & 19 species including Smooth-coated and Eurasian Otters, Hoolock Gibbon and many Tigers.
Caracal, Kutch 2019: Ficus Wildllife Tours, report of a 5 day trip to Kutch with a Caracal the highlight among 10 or so species including Leopard, Indian Porcupine and Indian and Desert Hedgehogs.
Tadoba, 2019: Dave Parmenter, 10 days & 17 species including Dhole, Sloth Bear, Chousingha and several Tigers.
Red Panda Quest (mainly Nepal but Kolkata too), 2019: Mac Hunter, 1 weeks and some nice mammals in Nepal including several Red Pandas, Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrels and a Fishing Cat in Kolkata.
Kanha NP, 2019: Laurent Morin, 3 days & 11 species including Tiger, Gaur and Sloth Bear.
Hemis NP, 2019: Laurent Morin, 8 days & 5 species including Snow Leopards and Eurasian Lynx.
Anamalais Mountains (Western Ghats), 2019: Ficus Wildlife, 4 days & 23 species including all the endemic primates, Brown Palm Civet and Nilgri Tahr.
India 2018-19: Brett Taylor, 5 weeks & 50 species including Leopard, Tiger, Dhole and Western Hoolock Gibbon.
Tadoba, 2018: John Van Niel, 1 week & 17 species including Tigers, Sloth Bear, Four-horned Antelope and Dhole.
Western Ghats, 2018: Ravi Kailas, 13 days & many species including Tiger, Striped-necked Mongoose and several regional specialities including Slender Loris and Brown Palm Civet.
Tadoba, November 2018: Naturetrek, 12 days & 32 species including Chousingha, Sloth Bear, Tiger, Dhole and Indian Tree Shrew.
Singalila National Park, 2018: Naturetrek, 12 days & 3 species including Red Pandas and Yellow-throated Martens.
Assam (Kaziranga and Hollongapar), 2018: Mattia Altieri, 10 days & 22 species including Hoolock Gibbon, Golden and Capped Langurs and Ganges River Dolphin.
Tadoba, April 2018: Naturetrek, 10 days & 22 species including Chousingha, Sloth Bear, Tiger & Indian Tree Shrew.
Hemis National Park, 2018: Exotic Travel, 1 weeks with mammals including Snow Leopards at close range, Urial and Wolf.
Quick trip to Pune (Maharashtra), 2018: Jon Hall, three days & 5 species including Egyptian Freetail Bats and Brown Spiny Mice.
Northern India, 2018: Naturetrek, 14 days & 17 species including Sloth Bear, Tiger and Porcupine.
Northern India, 2018: Scott Flamand, 2 weeks & species include multiple Gorals, Collared Hedgehog, Jungle Cat and Tigers.
Ladakh, 2017: Exotic Travel, 9 days & 9 Snow Leopards plus more.
India, 2017: Alain Guillemont, 5 days with a Striped Hyena in Rajasthan and Arunachal Macaques at Eagles Nest.
Mishmi Hills, 2017: Ralf Bürglin, 16 days & 20 species including Chinese Serow, Western Hoolock Gibbon, Grey-headed Flying Squirrel, (Mishmi) Takin and Red Goral.
South India & Tadoba, 2017: Martin Royle, 19 days & 56 species including Nilgri Marten, Painted Bat, Travancore Flying Squirrel, Sloth Bear and Tigers.
Chitwan, 2017: Martin Royle, 11 days & 24 species including Leopard and Tiger.
Tadoba and Chambal, 2017: Mattia Altieri, 2 weeks & 25 species including 20 Tigers, Sloth Bears, Chousingha, Leopards and Dholes.
Hemis, 2017: Bellingham Safaris, 11 days & 7 species including Snow Leopards and a Eurasian Lynx.
Ladakh, 2017: John Wright, 2 weeks & 8 species in Ladakh (plus 3 more near Delhi), including Urials and six Snow Leopards.
Gujurat & Tadoba, 2017: Richard Webb (WildWings), 2 weeks & 3o species including South Indian Tree Shrews, Striped Hyenas, Tigers, Lions and Sloth Bears.
Assam and Manipur, 2017: Dominique Brugiere, 4 weeks with species including Tiger, Hoolock Gibbons, Ganges River Dolphin and – best of all – Brow-antlered Deer (Sangai).
Changthang Plateau, Ladakh, 2016: Anjana & Rishi, eight days and a Pallas’s Cat among other mammals like Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiangs).
North East India & Bhutan, 2016: Ralf Bürglin, 17 days & 20 species including Brown Himalayan Goral, Capped Langur and Hoolock Gibbon.
Gujurat and Madha Pradesh, 2016: Janco van Gelderen, 3 weeks & 30 species including Asiatic Lion, Sloth Bear, Dhole, Tiger and Leopard.
Pakke National Park, 2016: Marc and Peggy Faucher, 3 nights with mammals including Capped Langur, Binturongand Chinese Pangolin.
Eagles Nest Wildlife Sanctuary, 2016: Marc and Peggy Faucher, 4 nights with species including Arunachal Macaques, Himalayan Serow, Bhutan and Grey-headed Flying Squirrels, Marbled and Golden Cats.
Ladakh, 2016: Bellingham Safaris, 11 days & 7 species including several Snow Leopards.
Central India, 2016: Jon Lehmberg & Stig Jensen, 11 days & 23 species including Dhole, Four-horned Antelope, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Leopard and Tiger.
Ladakh & Tadoba, 2016: Jo Dale, 3 weeks with species including Snow Leopards and Eurasian Lynxes in Ladakh, and Tigers and Sloth Bears at Tadoba.
Fishing Cats and Red Pandas, 2016: Marc and Peggy Faucher’s account of watching Fishing Cats in Kolkatta and Red Pandas in Singalila.
South India, 2016: Dion Hobcraft, 18 days & 31 species including Tiger, Leopard and a Brown (Jerdon’s) Palm Civet and most of the southern speciality mammals.
Hemis, 2015/16: Europe’s Big 5, 11 days including Snow Leopards.
Western India, 2015: Mike Hoit, 2.5 weeks & 35 species including Indian Porcupine, Desert Wildcat, Lion and Humpbacked Dolphin.
India, 2015: Manuel Baumgartner & Sophie Bétrisey, 22 days & 27 species including Golden & Capped Langurs, Tiger, Sloth Bear and Ganges River Dolphin.
Southern India, 2015: The Bird and Wildlife Team‘s report of a 2 week recce trip through the Western Ghats with 47 species including Travancore Flying Squirrel, Rusty-spotted Cat, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Smooth and Small-clawed Otters and Grey Slender Loris.
North East India, 2015: Ben Schwienhart, 1 month & 31 species including a Golden Cat. Great report with huge amounts of useful logistical details.
Tadoba National Park, 2015: Royle Safaris, 8 days & 17 species including Tiger, Indian Treeshrew and Sloth Bear.
Sunderbans, 2015: Royle Safaris, 8 days & 18 species including Finless Porpoise, Irawaddy Dolphin and Short-clawed Otter.
Ladakh, 2015: Ralf Bürglin, 2 weeks & 8 species including Ladakh Pika, Siberian Ibex and Argali. Mainly in German with great photos and a useful summary table for Pika identification (Pika id’ing can send grown men to tears).
Gujurat, 2015: Wildwings (with Richard Webb), 12 days & 27 species including Striped Hyena, Asiatic Lion, Wolf and Desert Jird.
Ladakh 2014: Jon Hall, 12 days & 11 species comprising Ladakh Urial, Blue Sheep, Mountain Weasel, Stone Marten, Red Fox, Wolf, Snow Leopard, Large-eared & Nubra Pikas, Woolly Hare and a House Mouse.
India & Bhutan, 2014: Susan Andelt, 2 weeks with species including Tiger, Nilgai and Capped Langur.
India, 2014: Janco van Gelderen, 3.5 weeks and 30+ species including Pangolin, Sloth Bear and Asiatic Lion, with great pictures.
Ladakh, 2014: Coke Smith, 2 weeks & 9 species including Snow Leopard, Urial and Siberian Ibex. Great images as always.
Tso-Kar (Ladakh), 2014: Charles Foley’s account of the extension to my Snow Leopard trip (which sadly I couldn’t take part in). 3 days & 10 species including Ladakh and Black-lipped Pika, Argali and Stoliczka’s Mountain Vole.
Ladakh, 2014: Karl van Ginderderuen’s (Europe’s Big 5) report of a 2 weeks trip to Ladakh (which overlapped with my trip there and we shared our first Snow Leopard sighting) but also went on to Tso Kar and the Ulley Valley. Species include Snow Leopard, Kiang and Ladakh Pika.
Ranthambore, 2014: Avi Sarkel’s account of a few days in Ranthambore in May, with some great Tiger pictures, plus Leopard and Sloth Bear.
Ladakh, 2014: Avi Sarkel’s account of a successful trip to see Snow Leopards, with 10 other species including Tibetan Wolf, Mountain Weasel and Stone Marten.
Ladakh, 2014: Indri Tours, 2 weeks & 6 species including Snow Leopard, Stone Marten & Woolly Hares.
Central India, 2014: Mattia Altieri, 2 weeks & 22 species in an interesting trip to an under-reported area. Highlights include several Tigers, Leopard, Dholes, Sloth Bear and Indian Treeshrew.
Karnataka, 2014: Jason Chapman’s list from a brief (mainly birding) trip to Southern India with 10 species including Stripe-necked Mongoose.
India & Nepal (Kanha, Kaziringa & Chitwan), 2014: Royle Safaris, 19 days & 25 species including Tiger and Perny’s Long-nosed Squirrel.
Ladakh, 2014: Royle Safaris, 17 days & 9 species including Snow Leopards and a Kashmir Wood Mouse.
Gujarat, 2013: Royle Safaris, 16 days & 29 species including Striped Hyena, Desert Cat, Indian Hairy-footed Gerbil and Indian Desert Jird.
Western Ghats, 2013: Coke Smith, 11 days & 41 species including Brown Palm Civet and a Rusty-spotted Cat.
Hemis, 2013: Adam Riley’s blog on Snow Leopards hunting Blue Sheep.
Gujurat & Maharashtra, 2013: John Wright, 16 days & 28 species including several Sloth Bears and Tigers, Striped Hyena, Lion and Sand-coloured Rat.
Ladakh & Gujurat, 2013: Dominque Brugiere, 4 weeks with species including Snow Leopard, Mountain Weasel, Woolly Hare and Urial in Ladakh, and Wild Asses and Striped Hyenas in Gujurat.
Himalayan Goral Tour, 2013: Ralf Bürglin’s trip to observe Gorals and other mammals at at Majathal Sanctuary near Shimla, at Nainital and Corbett NP.
Kashmir, 2013: Alain Guillemont, 8 days & 7 species including 11 Himalayan Black Bears in a morning!, Markhor and Goral.
India, 2013: Janco Van Gelderen, 5 weeks & about 40 species including 3 Snow Leopards, Lion and Tiger, Urial, Striped Hyena, Wolf and Hoolock Gibbon. Great report with some fabulous photos.
Ladakh, 2013: Juan Luis Ortega, 11 days & 9 species including Snow Leopards, Woolly Hare, Kiang, Argali and Himalayan Marmot. Good to see Snow Leopards can be seen in the summer too.
Indian Big Cats, 2013: Judith Hoyle, 1 month and plenty of wildlife including Snow Leopards, Asiatic Lions and a Tiger.
NE India, 2013: Steve Davis, 2.5 weeks & 25 species including a Hog Bager, Tiger and Stump-tailed Macaques.
Central India, 2013: Aniket Sardana, 2 weeks & 15 species including Tiger, Gaur and Leopard.
Ladakh, 2013: Aniket Sardana, 2 weeks & 6 species inlcuding Snow Leopard and Urial.
Assam Plains & Primates, 2013: Aniket Sardana, 5 days & 16 species including Tiger, Capped Langur and Hoolock Gibbon.
Assam Plains, 2013: Aniket Sardana, 9 days & 20 species including Tiger, Golden Langur, Dhole and Hispid Hare.
Ladakh, 2013: Carmen & Tobi Lundqvist, 2 weeks & 11 or so species including Snow Leopard, Urial and Tibetan Wolf. Great report.
Ladakh, 2013: Royle Safaris, 17 days & 12 species including Snow Leopard, Urial and Wolf.
India (Satpura, Panna, Jinna and Bandhavgarh), 2013: Royle Safaris, 21 days & 30 species including Indian Tree-shrew, Sloth Bear and Rusty-spotted Cat.
Agra & Bandhavgarh National Park, 2013: Royle Safaris, 12 days & 17 species including Tigers and a Sloth Bear.
Ladakh, 2012: Jan Kelchterman’s account of seeing a Snow Leopard.
India, 2012: Juan Luis Ortega Arranz, 3 weeks & 31 species including Snow Leopard, Asiatic Lion, Striped Hyena and Tigers.
Bandhavgarh National Park, 2012: Royle Safaris, 8 days & 2o species including Tiger, Leopard and Gaur.
Mumbai & The Western Ghats, 2011: Jon Hall, 12 days and 39 species including Brown Palm Civet, Sloth Bears, Nilgiri Tahrs, Lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs.
Manas, 2011: Uffe Gjøl Sørensen, 1 week & 19 species including Golden Langurs and a Tiger.
Ladakh, Gir and Corbett, 2011: Royle Safaris, 17 days & 27 species including Lion, Leopard, Tiger and Snow Leopard.
North Central India, 2010-11: Uffe Gjøl Sørensen, 1 month & 30 species including a Tiger.
Gujurat, Madhya Paresh & Assam, 2010-11: Coke Smith, 3 weeks & 50 species including Striped Hyena, Sloth Bear, Capped Langurs and Hoolock Gibbons. Fabulous photos as usual.
India, 2010: Bob Berghaier, 2 weeks & 33 species including 9 Tigers, Hoolock Gibbons, Capped Langurs and a White-tailed Wood Rat.
Ladakh, 2010: Ulrik Andersen, 2 weeks & 8 species including Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep and Ladakh Urial. Great report.
Uttar Pradesh, 2010: Michal Polanski, 1 week & 12 species including Gangetic Dolphins.
India, 2010: Curtis Hart, 3 weeks and 22 species including Tigers, Nilgiri Tahrs and River Dolphins.
Corbett and the Himalayan foothills, 2010: Derek Shingles, 10 days and several mammals including a Tiger.
Southern India, 2010: Naturetrek, 11 days & 23 species including Brown Palm Civet, Nilgri Tahr and Stripe-necked Mongoose.
India (Sultanpur, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Agra, Chambal, Bharatpur), 2009: Sjef Ollers, 2 weeks & 28 species including Tigers and some nice bats.
Tamil Nadu, 2009: Curtis Hart, 1 week, with 14 mammals including Lion-tailed Macaques and Dholes.
North East India, 2009: Henk Hendiks, 3 weeks and 18 mammals including Western Hoolock Gibbons and Blue Sheep (mainly a birding report). See here for an article from Birding2Asia about the Western Hoolocks and here for some downloadable files of their calls.
Ladakh, 2009: Szabolcs Kokay, 2 weeks and a Snow Leopard (open the link then choose ‘Travel Reports’, ‘Ladakh 2009’).
Assam, 2008: Jon Hall, 4 days and 21 species including Hoolock Gibbons, Capped Langurs, Wild Water Buffalo and Gangetic River Dolphins.
Bandhavgarh, 2008: Ian Loyd, 8 days & 16 species including 5 Tigers.
Gujurat, 2008: Richard Webb, 1 week and 25 mammals including Asiatic Wild Ass, Striped Hyena and an Asiatic (Desert) Wildcat.
Ladakh, 2008: Phil Telfer, 2 weeks and only a few mammals …but one of them was a Snow Leopard!
Kanha & Bandhavgarh, 2008: Greg Easton, 11 days & species including Tigers and a Leopard.
Gujarat and Agra, 2007: Jon Hall, 9 days and 36 species including Wild Ass, Asian Lions and a Striped Hyena.
India (North, Central and Western), 2007: Steve Anyon-Smith, 1 month and 36 mammals including Wild Ass, Sloth Bear, Wolf and many Tigers.
South India & Gujurat, 2007: Uffe Gjøl Sørensen, 1 month & 41 species including many of the southern endemics and a Long-eared Hedgehog.
India, 2007: Birding2Asia, 1 month & 22 species.
Ladakh, 2006: Alain Guillemont, 10 days & 8 species including a Snow Leopard, Urial and Argali.
Western India, 2005: Uffe Gjøl Sørensen, 3 weeks & 26 species including Asiatic Lions and a Honey Badger.
India, Gujurat 2004: Mike Prince, 1 week and some nice mammals including Wild Ass, Asiatic Lion and Striped Hyena.
India (Northwest and Northeast), 2001: Don Roberson, 1 month and 27 mammals.
India (Kanha), 2000: Richard Webb, 1 week and 18 species.
Also See
Woolly Flying Squirrel sighting in Himachal Pradesh?, August 2023
Stoliczka’s Voles in Ladakh? March 2023
Himalayan Flying Squirrel ID, November 2022
Pika ID (Ladakh) August 2022
Four Mountain Voles of Ladakh – a handy ID guide, May 2021
Flying Squirrel ID – Namdapha?, May 2021
Mongoose and mouse ID, January 2021
The Perfect Indian Itinerary RFI. March, 2020
Arunachal Pradesh Squirrel IDs. March, 2020
Nilgri Martens, August, 2019
Asiatic Golden Cat colour morphs June, 2019
Night Drives in Pench, May, 2019
Snow Leopard’s of Ladakh – BBC article and film, March, 2016
Fishing Cats near Kolkata and Red Panda’s at Singilia NP, Feb, 2016
Indian Bat ID: 2 species from Velavadar & Gir, Jan, 2016
Pia Boo: a discussion on the Pika’s of Hemis NP, October, 2014
Rare Shrew on the Andamans: but which species? John Hopkins’s account of finding a probable crocidura shrew on South Andaman Island, 2013
Takin vs Dhole, May 2011.
Seven species of cat found in one Assam forest, Feb 2010.
Resources
Menon, V. 2003. A Field Guide to Indian Mammals. Dorling Kindersley, Delhi. This is by far the best field guide I have seen for Indian mammals. Every species is covered (though for some of the smaller species there is just a sentence or two on their range and distinguishing features), but many small mammals are included.
Gurung, K. and Singh, R. 1998. Field Guide to the Mammals of the Indian Subcontinent. Academic Press, London. This field guide to 100 or so of the larger mammals of India (and neighbouring countries) includes plates and brief notes on species as well as a useful guide to 23 national parks.
Israel, S. and Sinclair, T. (eds). 1992. Insight Guides: Indian Wildlife. Appa Publications, Hong Kong. Not much use as a field guide, but some good information on national parks in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and species you might see in each.
Menon, V. 2014 (4th reprint). A Field Guide to Indian Mammals. Hachette India . This is by far the best field guide I have seen for Indian mammals. Every species is covered (though for some of the smaller species there is just a sentence or two on their range and distinguishing features), but many small mammals are included. This is significantly updated compared to the orginal 2003 work.
Prater, S. 1971. The Book of Indian Animals. Oxford University Press. This covers 140 of the commoner or more readily observed mammal species of the region. Well researched and nicely illustrated, if slightly dated.
Sterndale, R. A. 1884. Natural History of the Mammalia of Indian and Ceylon. Thacker, Spink and Co. This freely downloadable e-book is interesting.
A useful and comprehensive study of the status of South Asia’s bats is in this 2002 report.
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