Location:  District of Chandrapur
Area covered: 116.55 Sq Kms
Main Attraction: Asiatic Lion, Crocodiles, Jackels
Best Time to Visit: Summer

Tadoba National Park:

This is a large park spread over many acres of lush green forested land. Situated 45 kms from Chandrapur, Tadoba is an extremely beautiful jungle of mixed teak forests around a tranquil lake. The Tadoba National Park has migratory ducks visiting its lake, and also swarms with crocodiles. The rest houses are ideal for nature lovers as it commands a lovely view of the lake and the distant green hills beyond. Late nights are ideal times to see tigers, leopards, gaur, nilgai, sambar and chital. The park has facilities for tourists to stay overnight.

More than two thousand years ago, the Asiatic lion, Panthera leo persica, ranged all across the Indian subcontinent right up to Greece. The Lord of Beasts was celebrated as the symbol of power and might, feted in verse and art, feared and admired.Two millennia down the line, the Asiatic lion has fallen prey, despite its strength, to urbanisation, poaching, and all the ills human populations cause as they expand. India’s national emblem- the four-lion Ashokan capital- is one of the places lions can be readily seen. The other, of course, is the famous Gir Forest in Gujarat, the last stronghold of this majestic creature.Nearly exterminated by 1910- a result of drought, irate villagers and sheer indifference- the Gir lions were brought under protection by the Nawab of Junagadh, who banned all hunting in the area. After independence, in 1965, the Indian government declared the area a national park. The lion population- which had sunk to an alarming two dozen in the early 20th century- has slowly climbed over the years since, and now numbers about 300. The Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary is collectively known as the Gir Protected Area. Gir stretches over 1,412 sq km of scrub and grassland, dry deciduous forest and some marshland. Besides lions, Gir harbours antelope, deer, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles and jackals, along with a spectacular array of birds.An important part of the Gir Protected Area is the 4 sq km spread known as the Gir Interpretation Zone, about 12 km from Sasan Gir Village, the headquarters of the park. The Zone has a cross-section of wildlife within the park, and a visit here almost guarantees a lion sighting, which is otherwise a hit-or-miss affair in other parts of Gir.Tadoba National Park is the oldest national park of the State of Maharahtra and since 1993, a Project Tiger Reserve.It derives its name from the local God, "Taru". The legend goes that the village chief "Taru" was killed in an epic fight with the tiger. He is worshipped by all the local villagers as the deity of "Tadoba".

Tadoba has been referred to as the 'Jewel of Vidarbha'. It has an area of 625 sq.km.

This splendid museum of flora and fauna holds more than thousand species of birds, animals, insects and other life forms. Alongwith the main attraction the Tiger, large herds of Chitals, Sambars, Barking Deers, Chausingas, Neel Gais, Sloth Bears, Indian Bisons, Wild Dogs, Wild Boars and Leopards are other inhabitants of this beautiful wildlife sanctuary.Tadoba, a heaven for wildlife enthusiasts is a rich, dry deciduous forest, a great place to walk and enjoy nature. 

Getting there:

By Air:  Nearest airport is Nagpur 205 kms.

By Rail:  Nearest rail head is Chandrapur 45 kms.

By Road:  Chandrapur-Tadoba 45 kms.

State Transport buses ply from Chandrapur.

Accommodation:  Self contained rooms and dormitories.

Reservation:  Dy, Conservator of Forest (Wild Life) Chandrapur.