Ranthambore is one of India’s premier tiger reserves, however there are good opportunities to see many other mammals here, including leopard, sloth bear, rhesus macaque, nilgai, chinkara, wild boar, sambar and chital.
The birdlife is also excellent, particularly around the lakes where you can also see marsh mugger crocodiles. Upwards of 300 bird species can be found here and include parakeets, painted storks, egrets, flycatchers, eagles and partridges, together with migrants that include black eagle, greylag goose, ruddy shelduck and pintails.
It is difficult to secure private jeeps here, and most safaris are conducted in large government game-viewing trucks or canters. On the plus side, the tigers appear to be accustomed to these vehicles and their excited passengers, and not at all phased by them. The current tiger population is disputed, the official figure being around 40, but some figures estimate 20.
The nearest railway station is Sawai Madhopur, 20 minutes drive from the park entrance, which is served by at least one express train daily to and from Delhi via Bharatpur. The park is half a day’s drive from Jaipur. Ranthambore opens from October to June, although the optimum time is from December to April; it closes for some national holidays.
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