In February–March 2027, Natur&Foto invites you on an India Special. We will visit two of India’s best tiger reserves – Tadoba and Pench. In addition, we will go to Daroji Bear Sanctuary to photograph sloth bears, and travel up into the Himalayas, between Nepal and Bhutan, to photograph the rare red panda in Singalila National Park, located between 2,500 and 3,500 meters above sea level. This will be a truly special and unique India safari!
Tiger
The tiger is one of the world’s most endangered species. One hundred years ago, there were 100,000 wild tigers in the world. Today, there are only 5,000 wild tigers left. Humans are the tiger’s greatest enemy. Poachers kill two tigers every week. They are part of criminal networks that make huge profits from the illegal trade in tiger parts, and they reinvest the profits in weapons and drug trafficking.
The tiger is associated with power and strength. Owning a tiger skin rug gives status in some parts of Asia, and drinking tiger wine is believed to give superpowers. In recent years, the use of painted tiger bones in traditional medicine has increased significantly. Economic growth in Southeast Asia from the mid-1970s has led to increased demand for this type of medicine.
Tigers depend on large territories, abundant prey, and water. Without water, there is no prey and no tiger. In India, there are now 50 areas designated as tiger reserves. Not without reason, as India is home to 70 percent of all tigers in the world. In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers in India, but thanks to anti-poaching efforts, the number had risen to 3,682 by 2025.
Red Panda
The red panda lives in the forests of the Himalayas, at altitudes between 2,500 and 4,800 meters above sea level. It is also called the lesser panda or cat-bear. Its thick reddish-brown fur covers almost the entire body, but the belly and paws are black. The red panda also has distinctive white markings on its cheeks, above the eyes, and around the muzzle, and the ears are white on the outside. The bushy tail has darker rings and can be as long as the body. Adult males weigh 4.5–6.2 kg, while females weigh 3.7–4.5 kg.
Most of the world’s red pandas live in the eastern Himalayas. They inhabit dense forests in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, in the northern mountains of Myanmar, and in southern China.
Several attempts have been made to estimate the number of red pandas by studying areas that could be suitable habitats and calculating how many pandas could live there. Estimates indicate that there are fewer than 10,000 red pandas.
Red pandas are primarily threatened by human activities that reduce their habitat. The forests they live in are being cut down, and the areas are fragmented, making it harder for red pandas to find mates. Red pandas can also get caught in traps set for wild pigs and deer. In some places, they are still at risk from poaching. Their fur is in demand in countries like China, Myanmar, and Bhutan.
Sloth Bear
The Indian subcontinent – Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal – has its own bear species: the sloth bear. This is a medium-sized bear, weighing 55–140 kg, with a body length of 140–190 cm. Males are larger than females.
They are dark in color, often black, with a cream-colored Y-shaped mark on the chest. The lips are unusually large, hence the name. Sloth bears live in forests, often in the same areas as tigers, and are not easily intimidated by tigers. Observations have shown sloth bear mothers with cubs chasing off overconfident tigers.
Sloth bears have strong claws and love to dig out insects from mounds, soil, and trees. Their long snout combined with a very long and flexible tongue makes them well-equipped for insect hunting.
Living in temperate and tropical forests, sloth bears do not hibernate. They are generally shy and avoid humans, but there have been instances of attacks. Between 1989 and 1994, 735 attacks on humans were recorded, 48 of which were fatal.
Like other bears, sloth bears have delayed embryo development. In India, mating occurs in May–June, and females give birth to one or two cubs after six to seven months. The cubs stay in the den until they are three months old and follow the mother until they are two to three years old. The population numbers just under 20,000 individuals.
