The area was once under the possession of Gond tribals and legend has it that the park is named after their local deity, ‘Taru’. ‘Taru’ was killed in an epic fight with a tiger and is still worshipped today by the local villagers as ‘Tadoba’. The forest itself is rich and deciduous, consisting mainly of teak, with bamboo, satin wood and gardenia, and densely forested hills forming the northern and western boundary. Tadoba National Park and Andhari wildlife Sanctuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and there are thought to be approximately 50 tigers in the region.

There are tigers here, however in the evenings you are more likely to spot leopard, and there are jungle cats and civets that are often sighted. More rare Indian wildlife includes sloth bears, wild dogs and hyenas, as well as Indian deer, such as cheetal, nilgai and barking deer. There are several troops of langur monkey, as well as wild boar, gaur, jackal and bison. The perennial circular lake attracts a variety of water birds, from cattle egrets and jacanas to purple moorhens, and it cares for the population of marsh crocodiles that call it home. There is also a breeding farm for the palustris species that can be accessed via minibus and best seen in the early evening in the dry season.