“Tiger Tiger burning bright in the forests of the night what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?” These magnificent creatures were immortalized in William Blake’s poem back in the 19th century. Today, the Bengal Tiger still remains a creature of awe and wonder. Here you will find some background to Bengal Tigers, where you can see them and combine this with seeing other big cats, as well as a diverse collection of wildlife, in the stunningly beautiful national sanctuaries of India.

The Royal Bengal tiger is the national animal of India; it is the largest living member of the cat family and possibly the most beautiful of all the big cats. It has a graceful but strong build and is a fierce, proud animal with a combination of power and beauty, that is unmatched by other wild cats. The reddish yellow coat with black stripes gives it a royal look, hence its name the Royal Bengal tiger. Ventrally it is white. Its ears are black on the outside and each of them has a prominent white spot on it. Male Tigers can weigh up to 600lbs and grow to 11 feet in length, while female Tigers are slightly smaller. India is one of the very few countries in the world where you can still see a Tiger in the wild. There are approximately 5000 tigers in India, which is more than all the other species of tigers in the world (in captivity or wild) put together.

Bengal tigers are native to parts of Asia and India. Although an endangered species, there still are more Bengal Tigers than any other kind. The Siberian Tiger has nearly been hunted to extinction and the last spotting of a White Tiger was in 1951. In India there were over hundred thousand tigers at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, these numbers are much lower, but are building again, due to careful conservation that, has seen numbers increase. The threat of extinction forced the government of India to initiate the 'Project Tiger' in 1973. The project started with 9 sanctuaries in India which, today has increased to 23 projects.

Here are just to sanctuaries you can see Bengal Tigers and an extensive amount of wildlife.

The twin national parks of Kanha and Bandhavgarh which have been immortalized by Rudyard Kipling's classic 2The Jungle Book". Kanha National Park is located in the eastern part of the central Indian highlands. The jungle comprises of dry woodland on hill tops interspersed with dense forests and grassy expanses at lower elevations. The park is immensely rich in game; and the home to predators such as Tiger, Leopard and Wolf.

Corbett is the northernmost extend of the Asian Elephant and is one India's most famous animal sanctuaries. Other herbivores found here include the Hog Deer, Muntjak, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Goral and the retiring Serow (both goat antelope). The reserve also has a high density of Tigers Leopards. Other mammals include the Indian Pangolin, Leopard Cat, Sloth Bear and the Himalayan Black Bear. The Ramganga River in the reserve also has Gharial (fish eating crocodile), Marsh Crocodile and various species of turtles.

If you want to see Bengal Tigers, a wide range of other wildlife, in stunning scenery and take in thousands of years of culture as a bonus, then find out more about tours to India at: www.raporadventures.co.uk.