Best Places to See Wild Tigers
Dream of seeing tigers in their natural habitat? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Travel to the right places and you’ll be in with a good chance of seeing wild tigers. Don’t spend days trekking in vain. Xplore the best places to see wild tigers.
Where Not to See Wild Tigers
Wild tigers have seen their range decreased dramatically over the past century. From covering most of south-east Asia, their habitats are now isolated and confined to a few select places. Far from making it easier to track this big cat down, this decreased range also comes hand-in-hand with decreased population figures.
There are less than 4000 wild tigers left.
This means there are plenty of places that tigers can technically be found, but you’ll have a very hard time spotting them. Many websites will tell you about three places in particular Nepal, Indonesia and Russia. All of these places are home to tigers and all of these places have national parks known to have tiger populations. But, your chances of seeing a wild tiger here are very, very small.
Tiger populations in these areas are so spread out, and so small, that you are likely to be disappointed if you travel just for a wild tiger encounter. Of course, they have value in their own right. Kerinci Seblat National Park in Indonesia is one such place. It’s a beautiful park with a wealth of animals including elephants and sun bears. However, please don’t travel just for wild tigers.
How to Increase Your Chances of Seeing Wild Tigers
There is one simple trick you can use to dramatically increase your chances of seeing tigers in the wild.
Travel to India.
India is home to nearly 3000 tigers, around 75% of the global population. While there are 50 unique tiger reserves in the country, there are a few which have exceptionally high populations for their size and offer amazing opportunities to see and photograph these powerful animals.
Best Places to See Wild Tigers in the World: Top Three Locations to Xplore
Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh is touted as being the best place in the world to see wild tigers. It currently has the highest density of wild tigers in a reserve anywhere in India, with local estimates placing up to 75 tigers in the park. There are parks with more tigers, but they’re bigger and the tigers are harder to spot. If you can make it to Bandhavgarh during the peak season of April to June, you have a very good chance of seeing multiple wild tigers. Even in the offseason, October to March, your chances are high. Be aware that Bandhavgarh National Park is closed in July, August and September.
Ranthambore National Park
There are known to be over 85 resident tigers in Ranthambore, making it one of the most highly populated tiger reserves in India. Home to plenty of open spaces, you’ve got a good chance of catching sight of tigers in Ranthambore. Again note that seasons at the same as Bandhavgarh, with the park closed July to the end of September, with the peak season for tigers occurring in the summer months, when the dry season draws these mighty predators to watering holes. Ranthambore National Park is a fantastic location in its own right and has plenty to offer besides wild tigers, including ancient ruins, leopards and sloth bears.
Kanha Tiger Reserve
With over 100 tigers, Kanha Tiger Reserve claims the crown of having the larger tiger population on this list. It’s larger than both by a considerable margin which means even with the tiger increases, they’re a little harder to spot. Still, your chances are exceptionally good if you follow the seasonal advice of the other parks, and choose a great guide. A beautiful reserve, Kanha is famous for being the inspiration for the jungle in the now legendary Jungle Book franchise.
How to View Wild Tigers Responsibly
The best way to ensure you are engaging in responsible tiger tourism is to first only aim to encounter a wild tiger within a national park. For safari operators to enter these parks, they need a permit. To get the permit they need to meet certain regulations and abide by certain rules.
Flouting the rules means the suspension of their permit. Since tiger tourism is big business, tour companies do not want to risk losing their license and will follow the rules.
Of course, there are always those looking for profit over anything else, so you’re not always guaranteed to find a tour guide that’s respectful of all the rules. The only other thing you can do to protect yourself and the welfare of wild tigers is to do your research:
Look at Reviews
Read what others say about tour companies. Look for red flags relating to behaviour like chasing after animals or getting too close.
Look at Their Credentials
Does the tour group work with nonprofits in tiger conservation? Do they offer educational practices or work with biologists?
Look at Their Biography
Investigate the background of the company. Are they reputable with experience in responsible tourism?