The elusive black panther and the Giant Malabar Squirrel exist in the forests and untamed beauty of the less well-known wildlife parks in south India. The journeys to and from these parks also allow you to touch on a couple of cultural highlights. Begin in Mysore home to one of the best preserved and most extravagant palaces in the country before continuing onto Nagarhole National Park, home to a diverse range of species including tigers, elephants, Gaur (Indian bison),  wild dog and numerous bird species and where the black panther is known to prowl. Continue onto Lakkidiki’s rainforests to witness the agility of the Giant Malabar Squirrel one of the largest squirrels in the world, an important species in the ecosystem of the Western Ghats and protected under Indian wildlife conservation laws to ensure its preservation.