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 owgli the Jungle boy, Baghera the leopard, Sher Khan the tiger, Kaa the python...
all these characters in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book have been
inspired from the India's luxuriant forests. With good reason! Forests
have always been an integral part of the Indian mindset and  feature in
folklores and bedtime stories. In Indian mythology, hundreds of animals and birds have been accorded the status of God's vehicles or Gods themselves,
with the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha heading the popularity list.
The unique bond shared between the elephant and his mahout
has been patronized by royal courts and temples. The concern towards wildlife,
and in particular to the deer family, by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan
is legendary.
The magnificent ROYAL BENGAL TIGER is India's pride.
 Veteran
hunters have swapped their rifles for cameras because "it was simply
too beautiful to kill." Even a fleeting glimpse of this graceful cat in the wilderness of India's
numerous national parks and sanctuaries is certain to mesmerize you.
From Namdapha in the East,
Ranthambhore in the West, Jim Corbett in the North, and Periyar
in the South, India is the natural home of the Tiger. In the Ganga delta
of Sunderbans, where they are the highest in numbers, tigers have even adapted themselves to
the saline water ecology and survive on fish.
Besides tigers, India is also home to one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga, Asiatic
lions in Gir, antelopes, leopards, panthers... the list is
endless.
 The marine life along the vast coastline and in the
numerous rivers is enviable. As is the aviary population of native and migratory ones. Bird lovers
from 'round the world flock to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary for its
star attraction - the Siberian Crane. The glamorous Peacock
(the national bird), can be seen all over Rajasthan.
If you are seeking some moments of peace and solitude, we recommend that
you stay a a few days in an old English cottage near an older Indian jungle. Visualize the stories of
Ruskin Bond in Kumaon, as you spend lazy afternoons on long bamboo chairs under the cool
shade of neem and mango trees, listening to the melodious notes of
the Koyal bird and watching the playful antics of monkeys.
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