The diversity in India’s jungles is spectacular. But seven iconic species are a big draw in wildlife tourism.
The tiger is the totem for wildlife tourism in India as it brings in plenty of big bucks. In 2017-18, the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan had a revenue of Rs.33,77,28,080, which is indeed impressive. Similarly, the tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh—Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna and Pench—earned 400 per cent more in tourism than what the State and Central governments provide as their annual budget.
Akin to Africa’s “big five”—the elephant, the lion, the rhinoceros, the leopard and the buffalo—India has the “big seven”, or seven beasts that are sacrosanct in their respective wilderness, the vast vistas of grasslands and woodlands that nurture them.