Hunting preserve of erstwhile rulers of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh became an National Park in year 1968. Subsequently the park came under the aegis of Project Tiger and was declared a tiger reserve in 1993.
In the seventies the park was visited by few tourists mostly at the initiation of the Maharajas. The only accommodation available was a forest rest house while the Maharani’s Kothi at Tala was personal property of the Maharaja of Rewa. One could book the rest house with ease at the office at Umaria. The safari was managed on jeeps belonging to Madhya Pradesh Tourism which had established White Tiger Lodge at Bandhavgarh. The jeeps belonging to the forest department where also available for tiger safari on charge.
In the park, wildlife sightings were excellent in those days. The tigers were often sighted on the jungle tracks as well on elephant rides. The last herd of Bison was seen well in summers. From sixty two animals the number dwindled to thirty two with the passage of time. today the coarse grazers have become extinct. The reason could be disease like foot and mouth or rinderpest. Poaching could be another possible reason.
One could see sambar deer, spotted deer along with herd of langurs often in company of wild boar. Barking deer, four horned and the Indian gazelle or Chinkara could be seen in the periphery. The latter has been hunted down to local extinction I presume. Indian wolf and hyena face a precarious existence. Nilagi are seen in large herds in more open areas.
The bird species were being discovered by some resident naturalist of hotels that had been established at Bandhavgarh. The history of the place saw light as tiger safaris became popular. Bandhavgarh boasts of impressive list of resident and migratory species that makes it an ideal birding spot in India.
Bandhavgarh was full of tigers then as it is now. Eventually with due publicity the number of tourists began to increase. With passage of time as tiger awareness grew and ecotourism became popular the number of tourists on tiger tours swelled. With increase in tourism need for more accommodation became a necessity. The hotels or wildlife resorts began to surface outside the park confines mostly around the sleepy Tala village.
Tala is a small village near the entrance of the park. It is home to many park guides, elephant riders and foresters. In present times Tala has become a mini commercial hub. There are a large number of luxury hotels of Bandhavgarh in its vicinity. The tourist usually alight at Tala to proceed towards there place of stay or avail accommodation in economy lodges at Tala itself.
Like Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh tiger reserve too faced vehicle influx in the park lately. This has been curbed to some extent by limiting the entry of jeeps in the park. More needs to be done if we have to preserve this amazing, picturesque paradise that encompasses history in its folds.
Wildlife of India 