Elephant Sighting at Jhilmil Jheel

Jhilmil Jheel conservation area is part of Rajaji National Park and a good spot for sighting Elephants, Leopards, Sloth Bear and Swamp Deer. This is located near Haridwar and is 9349.23 acres. It is also the only Terai marshland where Uttarakhands only surviving herd of Swamp Deer live.

However on my first visit I did not see much except some birds and one large elephant. I intend to make further trips to spot the other residents of Jhilmil Jheel. It is an hours drive from Chila zone of Rajaji National Park. Even though I saw and photographed various other birds, the elephant sighting was the highlight of the trip.

Elephant sightings are quite frequent here and the only place one are almost guaranteed see these animals in the winter sometimes a Lone Tusker or sometimes a small herd for 6 to 7 elephants.

They head out of the forests, cross the village and head over to the river for a drink before returning back to the forests. Here there is a small village where people own cattle and do some farming here. These people are mainly of Gujjar community that live inside the park.

The jeep track passes through some dense forests before coming out into open grasslands. Here I was expecting to see some wildlife but maybe next trip. Wildlife can be unpredictable and sightings are not always guaranteed.

These things should be in mind when visiting any wildlife reserve anywhere however in saying that some reserves offer better sightings than others even those that are flocking with tourists. If you have any questions or would like to visit the area, then do contact me at hello@abhishekdeepak.com