 India presents itself in such variations of physical characters, climate and vegetation that its animal population naturally varies with conditions. The legendary snow-capped Himalayas, house rare and elusive creatures such as the snow leopard, musk deer, ibex, markhor and pheasants of all descriptions. The forests of its lower slopes are clothed in verdant coniferous forests and grasslands and are the last refuge of several endangered plants and animal species. The Thar, also called the Great Indian Desert, supports a surprising variety of hardy plants and animals, several of which are found nowhere else on earth. The Rann of Kutch lies in the western region and is a flat, saline wilderness with little vegetation. It is the last home of the Asiatic Lion and the Indian Wild Ass. These salt bracts also provide shelter to over 450 species of birds, which migrate to India during the winter months. The vast floodplains of the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra stretch from Assam in the east to Punjab in the west. Toward the east, bordering Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma, evergreen forests and swamps of the Sunderbans shelter life forms ranging from tigers, elephants, rhinos and the rare and reclusive clouded leopard to the largest moth and some of the rarest orchids in the world.
 In the south, the Indian peninsula extends into the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, with the eastern coast flanked by the Bay of Bengal and the western by the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats, an ancient chain of hills, fringes the western coast of India. Anaimudi, the highest point south of the Himalayas, lies in the southern reaches of these mountains. These hills, along with the northeastern forests, are perhaps the last hope for some of Asia's densest rain forests. On the eastern side lies the relatively smaller Eastern Ghats. Running all along the peninsula's coastline are coral formations, sand bars and mangroves. In the midst of the Deccan peninsula is a region of scrub and grassland, under which lie fertile black cotton soils sent forth by ancient volcanic eruptions. To the south of the peninsula lies a unique mountain range, which cuts across perpendicularly from the Western Ghats to touch the Eastern Ghats. These mountains are known as the Nilgiris or Blue Mountains. The Nilgiri Biosphere is the largest forest tract in southern India and it houses a large variety of animals like the gaur, elephants, tigers, leopards and macaques. The shola-grassland ecosystem that prevails over a large part of this landscape houses many animals endemic to this region - like the Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri langur, etc. The magnificent and reclusive King Cobra is also an integral part of this system.
 Far from the mainland, two archipelagos form part of the Indian Union. These are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. Unspoiled beaches and forests, yet unexplored, characterize these islands. The vegetation of the Andaman Islands is more Malayan in nature and many of its 1300 species of plants are not typical to India. Coral reefs along these islands are justifiably famous, as also are the untouched aborigines that dwell here.
This then is India - bountiful, unique and forever fascinating. A land blessed with a past and a natural wealth that few other countries can emulate. Where else in the world, after all, could a person travel from snow leopard and ibex country (Ladakh), to a hot desert (Thar), to a coral paradise (Pirotan), to savannah grasslands (The Terai), to deciduous forests (Bandhavgarh), to mangrove swamps (Sunderbans), to a primeval rain forest (Silent Valley) - all without crossing a single international boundary?
 The Indian tropical forests are dense and its animals have over many millennia, become masters in the art of camouflage. As a result, visibility is fairly restricted and visitors lured by prospects of exciting ‘tiger safaris’, more often than not go back disappointed with seeing fewer animals than they expected. With the help of an experienced guide, however, a moving twig becomes a praying mantis, part of a tree stump takes wing to reveal itself as a roosting nightjar, or, with some luck, an imperceptible movement in the grass turns out to be none other than that of the tiger.
This high incidence of wildlife coincides sadly with the pressure of development and the heavy demands of one-fifth of humanity. What surprises most visitors is the stark contrast between the outside and inside of protected places. The surrounding villages and the barren approach roads often sow the seeds of apprehension... till one enters the reserve. Then the pristine forests and the primeval peace that they offer can transport any person whose soul is stirred by the outdoors. And so despite the heat and humidity of this tropical land, people are drawn back to the forests, the likes of which Kipling and Corbett have immortalized. For the visitor who knows what to expect, the privilege of stepping into a pure and untouched world is a reward in itself.
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