The name ‘Tadoba’ is the name of the God ‘Tadoba’ or “Taru”, worshipped by the tribals and is famed to live in the dense forests of Tadoba and Andhari region. Tadoba’s southern tropical dry deciduous forest of Deccan Peninsula comprises of teak forests with bamboo thicket, which are wildlifer’s dream. It lies in Chandrapur Ddstrict and is Maharashtra’s oldest National Park created in 1955. The National Park is 623 sq. kms in area, consisting of two forested rectangles of the Tadoba and Andhari range. The best thing about the park is that it remains open all round the year, even in the monsoons.

The rich deciduous forest mainly consists of bamboo & teak. The other trees are gardenia, satinwood, mahua and jamun. The other trees which are found within the protected area are, ain, arjun, behada, bija, bhera, bor, bel, chichwa, dhawada, kusum, mowai, phetra, rohan, salai, semal, shisham, sisoo, shivan, surya, sirus, tendu, etc.

Other than the tiger, Tadoba Tiger Reserve is home to rare Indian wildlife like leopards, sloth bears, gaur, wild dogs, hyenas, civets, jungle cats and many species of the Indian deer like sambar, cheetal, nilgai, and the barking deer..

Tiger at Tadoba
Tadoba Andhari Reserve is the largest national park in Maharashtra. Total area of the reserve is 625.4 square kilometres (241.5 sq mi). This includes Tadoba National Park, created in 1955 with an area of 116.55 square kilometres (45.00 sq mi) and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1986 with an area of 508.85 square kilometres (196.47 sq mi). The reserve also includes 32.51 square kilometres (12.55 sq mi) of protected forest and 14.93 square kilometres (5.76 sq mi) of other areas.

Tigress Maya with her Cubs
Densely forested hills form the northern and western boundary of the tiger reserve. The elevation of the hills ranges from 200 m (660 ft) to350 m (1,150 ft).

Sambar deer on a foggy morning

To the southwest is the 120 ha (300 acres) Tadoba lake which acts as a buffer between the park's forest and the extensive farmland which extends up to Irai water reservoir. This lake is a perennial water source which offers good habitat for Muggar crocodiles to thrive. Other wetland areas within the reserve include the Kolsa lake and Andhari river.

Tadoba reserve covers the Chimur Hills, and the Andhari sanctuary covers Moharli and Kolsa ranges. It's bounded on the northern and the western side by densely forested hills. Thick forests are relieved by smooth meadows and deep valleys as the terrain slopes from north to south. Cliffs, talus and caves provide refuge for several animals. The two forested rectangles are formed of Tadoba and Andhari range. The south part of the park is less hilly. Recently a photo from this reserve by Amol Bais was on a postal stamp to be released on 29 July, International Tiger Day.

Safari Package Include:

• Pick up and drop back to your accomodation
• Light snacks in jungle
• Mineral water, soft drinks
• expert guide
• Binocular to explore jungle