Visiting Gir National Park

Gir Forest National Park is a wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, western India. It was established to protect Asiatic lions. Gir National Park is the only place in the world outside Africa where a lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The lions of Gir are a majestic animal, averaging 2.75 meters in length, and with a bigger tail tassel, bushier elbow tuffs and prominent belly folds than his African cousin which has larger mane. Gir is a home to 40 species of mammals and 425 species of birds.

We went on four safaris at Gir using open air utility vehicles. Here is a composite of the entrances to the park and two vehicles following a lion walking on the forest road.

Visiting Gir National Park and Sanctuary

Marketing Wildlife in Jackson Hole

Due to an abundance of wildlife around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, it was common to see use of animal related tourist attractions and icons in the town.

The four elk antler arches guarding the corners of Jackson Hole’s George Washington Memorial Park, more commonly called the Town Square, have become well known icons to the town’s many visitors. A local whitewater rafting and kayaking operator uses bears to attract customers.

Gate of Antlers Jackson Square
Bears Canoeing on the Roof

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest

The National Audubon Society’s Francis Beidler Forest in Four Holes Swamp contains within its 18,000+ acres, the largest remaining stand of virgin Bald Cypress/Tupelo Gum swamp forest left anywhere in the world. One thousand year-old trees and native wildlife abound in this pristine sanctuary that has been untouched for millennia. 

On our camera club field trip, we were underwhelmed by the number of birds and wildlife that we saw, but viewing the swamp from the boardwalk was worthwhile.

Audubon Center

A cypress knee is a distinctive structure forming above the roots of a cypress tree. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen on trees growing in swamps. Some current hypotheses state that they might help to aerate the tree’s roots, create a barrier to catch sediment and reduce erosion, assist in anchoring the tree in the soft and muddy soil, or any combination thereof.

Cypress Knees

Gardens of Spice Village Hotel Thekkady

Thekkady in Kerala State, India ‘s largest wildlife sanctuary is a dream destination for any tourist visiting India . The 120 years old ‘Surki’ dam built across Peryiar is a major tourist attraction. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 777 square kilometers, surrounded by an artificial lake and a tiger reserve. Thekkady with its bountiful treasures of tropical flora and fauna is the ultimate reservoir of many an endangered species and a rich tribal culture.

Thekkady is considered as a heaven for natural spices such as black pepper,cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutmace, ginger, and clove.

Gardens of Spice Village Hotel Thekkady

Gardens of Spice Village Hotel Thekkady