Rajasthan
has a varied topography, on one hand here stands the country's oldest
mountain range the Aravalis the reason for the rocky terrain, the Thar
Desert and on the other hand there are the lush green forests and fresh
water wetlands. This kind of topography makes Rajasthan a perfect place
for diverse flora and fauna. A large number of animals and birds take to
living here because of the environmental conditions. The dry deciduous
forest of Aravalis and the wetlands of Bharatpur serve as home to a
large number of rare species of birds and animals. Rajasthan is the
haven for some of the endangered species as well like the Tiger and the
Blackbuck. For people who love and appreciate the gifts of nature it is
imperative for them to make a sojourn here. One can plan several
wildlife tours here and can enjoy the bounty of nature through a jeep
ride or camel and elephant safari. The large number of wildlife
sanctuaries and eco-tourism Park are hence making a call to all the
nature lovers. Scroll down to get first hand information about the
wildlife of Rajasthan.Desert National Park (Jaisalmer)
The Desert National Park of Jaisalmer is a true reflection of the ecosystem and flora and fauna of the Thar Desert. Founded in 1980, it is spread over an area in excess of 3150 sq km and is probably the largest park of India. Due to a minimal leaf cover the Desert Park supports less of herbivorous animals, camels being an exception to this.
Ranthambore National Park
The origin of Ranthambore wildlife reserve dates back to the year 1957, it was in 1981 that it got its present National Park status. The topography of the Park is also diverse which boasts of dry deciduous forests, open grassy meadows and several rivers and lakes.
Sariska Tiger Reserve
This Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan is spread over an area of approximately 800 sq km and has topography more or less similar to that of Ranthambore. The Reserve got its present National Park status in 1979 and became a part of the Project Tiger.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The Keoladeo Ghana National Park situated at Bharatpur is popularly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. This world renowned haven for birds had paradoxically been created in 1850 as a duck shooting ground for the Maharaja Suraj mal of Bharatpur. The shallow wetland created by saving monsoon water in the depression caused by the confluence of River Gambhir and River Banganga turned it into a perfect habitat for a large number of birds. It is a haven for around 364 varieties if birds and is one of the most important breeding and feed grounds for the birds. In the year 1982 it got the status of a National Park and in the year 1985 it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The Park is open throughout the year from sunrise to sunset however the best time to visit the sanctuary is winters as it is during this period that one can find the migratory birds here from places like China, Siberia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan. Kingfishers, eagles, vulture, storks, white and black necked storks, gappy bills, egrets, herons and exotic and rare birds like Siberian crane, pelicans, Indian darters, wagtails, robins, mynahs are commonly sighted at the Park. Though it is principally a bird sanctuary one also finds animals like sambar deer, blue bulls, jackals, jungle cats, mongoose, blackbucks and pythons here.
Tal Chapper Sanctuary
The Tal Chapper sanctuary lies in the Sujangarh Tehsil of Churu District, Situated in the North-East part of Rajasthan. It is located on the fringe of the Great Indian Thar desert and is a haven to one of the rarest species of antelope the Blackbuck. The shallow low lying area and flat tracts along with small seasonal water ponds act as a perfect abode to the blackbucks. The sanctuary is nearly 215 km away from Jaipur.
Darrah Sanctuary
Spread over an area of about 250 sq km the Darrah Sanctuary happens to be the erstwhile hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Kota. It is situated about 50 km away from Kota. The sanctuary remains closed between the monsoon months of July to September. The nature lovers can throng the Sanctuary between the months of February to May. The hill sanctuary is covered with dense forest and some of the rare medicinal herbs and trees are found here. The sloth bear, chinkara, leopard and the tiger are the animals which inhabit this sanctuary.
Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary
The Kumbhalgarh sanctuary encompasses an area of about 578 sq km and is located in the districts of Udaipur, Pali and Rajsamand surrounded by the Aravali hills. The Sanctuary derives its name from the impressive historical Fort of Kumbhalgarh situated here. This sanctuary too is a dwelling for numerous animals. The chaisingh (four horned antelope), chinkara, sloth bear, sambar, nilgai, hare, leopard, hyena can all be spotted here. The avian population here consists of the grey jungle fowl, peacocks, dove, mynahs, golden oriole, parakeets, white breasted kingfisher, red spur owls etc.
Mount Abu Sanctuary
The only hill station of Rajasthan Mount Abu is rich in Floral and Fauna biodiversity. It comprises of the country's oldest mountain range the Aravalis. It got its current wildlife sanctuary status in the year 1960. The sub-tropical thorn and sub-tropical evergreen forests here consist of 112 kinds of plant families and 820 species. The forests of Mt Abu are known for there bamboo plantations, wide variety of orchids, several types of wild roses and medicinal herbs and plants. One could find lions in the jungles of Mt Abu in the 19th century and tigers were spotted here as late as in the 1970's. The panther has now been declared an endangered species here. The population of sloth bear however has been on the rise. Other animals which are found here include hyenas, langoors, civets, jackals, porcupine, hedgehogs, hare, sambar etc.