Bandhavgarh National Park

NaturesLens visits Bandhavgarh National Park on small-group wildlife photography holidays in India, with time here planned around Barking Deer, Bengal Tiger, Crested Serpent Eagle, Grey Langur and Indian Gaur rather than general sightseeing. Current itineraries using Bandhavgarh National Park include Majestic Bengal Tigers of India and Tigers of Bandhavgarh, with photography shaped around hide, flight, night or low-light and landscape and behaviour photography sessions. Bandhavgarh National Park lies in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, central India, set within the Vindhya hill range that gives the reserve its dramatic topography of sandstone escarpments, forested ridges & a central hill crowned by an ancient fort. The park’s landscape is a mosaic of dense sal forest, mixed deciduous woodland, bamboo stands & open grassy meadows, interspersed with streams & small wetlands that sustain wildlife through the dry season. This varied terrain, combined with a long history of royal protection, has made Bandhavgarh one of India’s most celebrated wildlife destinations despite its relatively modest size. The park is best known for its healthy population of Bengal tigers, often encountered moving through the grasslands or resting near forest streams, alongside the more elusive Indian leopard, which favours rocky outcrops & denser cover. Sloth bear & Indian wild dog represent the reserve’s other significant predators, each occupying distinct niches within the forest ecosystem. Herbivores are abundant & varied, ranging from the large, gregarious spotted deer & sambar deer to the smaller, solitary barking deer, while the powerful Indian gaur browses the woodland edges. Wild boar forage widely across the park, & troops of grey langur & rhesus macaque are a near-constant presence in the canopy, often alerting observers to predator movement through alarm calls. Overhead, the crested serpent eagle patrols the skies, while the vividly plumed Indian peafowl adds colour & sound to the forest floor. Curious what keeps photographers coming back? Read our piece on why photographers keep returning to Bandhavgarh.