Tracking endangered tigers in India’s national parks

Everyone knows the tiger is in trouble," says Kevin Rushby in the Guardian. A century ago there were about 40,000 of the animals in India; today, there are 1,200.

Now some experts feel that eco-tourism is the way forward, and three parks in the central state of Madhya Pradesh – Kanha, Pench and Satpura – have taken this to heart, encouraging good management in national parks and warding off poachers.

In Kanha, visitors must ride on elephants to see tigers already located by rangers. That feels "rather like a zoo", but in the jungles of Satpura, you can seek them out on foot with the help of a guide – an experience that will leave you "buzzing with adrenaline", whether you are successful or not.

On The Go Tours (0207 371 1113) has 7-day trips to the three parks from £1,699pp. ·