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ROAM AROUND GUJARAT ( GUJARAT WILDLIFE
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| Gujarat is a state rich in heritage of wildlife. The state
has a rich variety of wildlfe consisting of about 40 species
of mammals and 425 species of birds. The Asiatic lion has long
been celebrated as The Lord of Beasts. The Indian Lion is another
name for Asiatic Lion. In ancient society it was considered
as a symbol of human power and sovereignity. As population began
to grew and began cultivating or settling more and more of its
forest and scrublands, the Asiatic lion was squeezed nearly
out of existence. |
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GIR NATIONAL PARK :
The Gir wildlife sanctuary and national park, collectively
referred to as the Gir Protected Area (PA), is located
in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat in western India.
The Gir national park is a heaven to about 300 Asiatic
lions. The Lion, Panther Leo, inhabits the forest of Gir
in the Saurashtra peninsula, attracting sixty thousand
visitors to this sanctuary of Gujarat every year. Gir
today is the only place in the world, outside Africa,
where the lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The
Asiatic lion is slightly smaller than its African cousin,
nevertheless, a large male lion of the Gir is quite a
sight to behold. The best way to observe the big cats
is, of course, in their natural surroundings, at dawn
and dusk, when they are on the prowl. Wildlife viewing
in the Girs is best done, by driving around the forest.
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Location :64 Kms from Junagadh and 32 kms from Verawal
Area : 1412 sq km protected area of which 259 sq km is
National Park and 1153 sq km is sanctuary
Best Time to visit :December till mid June(closed during
monsoon period)
Climate :Hot and arid summers and mildly cold winters.
Prominent Fauna :Asiatic lion, leopard, chital, nilgai,
chinkara, antelope, wild boar, crocodile, wild ass, paradise
flycatcher, back headed cuckoo, pied woodpecker, bonnelli's
eagle, crested serpent eagle, painted sandgroose, bush quail,
flamingo, grey partridges. |
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MARINE NATIONAL PARK :
Gujarat is India's first state to create a marine national
park. This area is famous for corals and fish and the
only place where Black Cornalia can be seen. The corals
creates beautiful structures in amazing variety of shapes
and sizes. There are plants that look like animals and
animals that look like plants. It seems as if every life
form here performs magic tricking to get food and shelter.
Octopuses mimic the colour and texture of the surroundings
in the blink of an eyelid so as to vanish without a trace.
Turtles, shrimp, sponge, eels, sea urchin lurk among the
corals and huge schools of fish create a brilliance of
colours. The area is also full of Borlia species which
are quite rare. Culture of ports is being done in this
area which is a source of foreign exchange in the country.
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Location :30 Kms from Jamnagar
Area :457.92 sq.km of which 162.89 sq.km is National
Park and 295.03 sq.km is sanctuary
Best Time to visit :December till May
Prominent Fauna :Turtles, shrimp, sponge, eels, sea
urchin, gobies, dolphins, dugang, boralia etc.
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WILD ASS SANCTUARY :
This is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. The entire
Little Rann of Kutch known as the "Indian Wild Ass
Sanctuary" is a featureless expanse of flat land
- the sea bed - dotted with islands known as "Baits"
which form the core for the flora and fauna. Asses are
great runners and there is no match in speed and stamina
in the entire animal kingdom. Camel and Jeep safaris in
and across the Rann with tented camps can be arranged.
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Location :65 km from Surendranagar, Little Rann of Kutch
Area : 4953.70 sq.km
Prominent Fauna : Indian wild ass, panther, Black buck,
Chinkaras, Blue bull, Jackals, wild boar, Ghudkhur and rare
birds Houbara Bustard, Falcons, Larks. |
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RATANMAHAL AND JESSORE SLOTH BEAR SANCTUARY
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Ratanmahal bear sanctuary located on the Gujarat-Madhya
Pradesh border is the only exclusive sloth bear sanctuary
in Gujarat. The River Panam criss-crosses beautiful small
hamlets on the foothills of this sanctuary; lush green
and thick woods full of natural goodness. Jessore sanctuary
is about 45 km from Palanpur spread on area of about 180
sq km. Besides sloth bear other animals found here are
leopard, blue bull, wildboar, porcupine etc.
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Location :About 60 kms from Dahod or Piplod or 45 km
from Baria Taluka
Area : 56 sq.km
Prominent Fauna :Sloth bears, panthers, large size monkeys,
langoors, jackals, antelopes, hyenas, jungle cats, foxes, honey
badgers, hare, porcupines |
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NALSAROVAR BIRD SANCTUARY :
The sanctuary is known to harbour more than 250 species
of birds. It mainly comprises a lake and marshes where
you can see flamingos, pelicans, ducks, geese, cranes,
storks, ibises, spoonbills, wading birds, kingfishers,
swallows, fishing eagles, osprey, harriers and falcons
in great numbers. The lake islands are inhabited by migrating
Bhardwad shepherds while the banks are home to the Padhars
who are excellent folk dancers, artisans and boatmen
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Location :54 km from Ahmedabad.
Area : 11,500 hectares
Prominent Fauna :Water birds, mostly migratory during
winter months such as flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber roseus
, pelicans Pelecanus philippensis , storks, ducks, egrets, herons
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VELVADAR BLACKBUCK NATIONAL PARK :
The Velvadar is famous for its conservation of blackbucks.
Blackbucks are exclusively Indian animals and perhaps
the most beautiful and graceful animal of its kind. It
has ringed horns that have a spiral twist of three to
four turns and are up to 70 cm long. The body's upper
parts are black and the underparts & the ring around
the eyes are white. The light brown female is usually
hornless.
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Location :In the Bhal region of Saurashtra, 65 kms
from Bhavnagar
Area :35 sq kms.
Prominent Fauna :Blackbucks, wolf, jackals, hare, harriers,
floricans |
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