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Route - Ahmedabad
- Velavadar
National Park - Gir National Park - Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass Sanctuary -
Ahmedabad
Highlight : Gujarat is a unique state that has many kinds of
habitats. These varied landforms include dry deciduous forests, majestic
grasslands, wetlands, marine ecosystems and rich moist deciduous forests. These
habitats are home to some extremely rare wildlife. The Asiatic Lion is found
only in Gir, The Wild Ass in the Little Rann of Kutch and the Black Buck which
is world's only four-horned antelope are some other valued species protected in
Gujarat.
Recommended Itinerary (This
is an indicative itinerary, Sequence of the activities may vary and depend on
prevailing weather condition and guest preferences)
Day 1
& Day 2: Ahmedabad - Velavadar National Park -
Velavadar is about 130 kms from Ahmedabad.
Guests having some time could visit Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary enroute
before reaching Velavadar. It is home to the largest concentration of Black Bucks in
the world. Other
animals of note include the endangered India Wolf, fox, jackal, Jungle
Cat, Hyena and Wild Boar.
For the birders
there are many endangered birds such as Houbara Bustard, Lesser Florican,
Common Crane, Sarus White Stork and White Pelican etc.
Day 3
& Day 4 & Day 5 : Gir National Park -
In the morning leave for Gir
National Park (250 kms) - the last abode of the Asiatic lions. Gir is the only place in the world outside Africa, where
the Lion can be seen in its natural habitat. Due to the high density of
lions, spotting is very good. Gir is also home to one of the largest
Leopard populations in any park in India, making it an excellent place to
see big cats of a different kind. Also to be found here are Jungle Cat,
Desert Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Sambar, Black
Buck, Four-Horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Pangolin
and Indian Porcupine.
For the birders
over 250 varieties of birds like the Painted Sandgrouse, Peacocks,
Paradise Flycatcher, Black-Headed Cuckoo Shrike, Pied woodpecker and
Bonelli's Eagle. Gir is characterised by an arid rugged terrain with low
hills and mixed vegetation with beautiful stands of teak, acacia and dhak
trees interspersed with grassy plains.
The Kamleshwar
dam reservoir inside the Gir National Park has one of the largest marsh
crocodile populations. .
Day 5
& Day 6: Little Rann of Kutch -
In the morning leave for
Little Rann of Kutch (325 kms) - the only sanctuary for The Asiatic Wild Ass in
India. Capable of reaching high speeds when galloping across the
Rann, the wild ass is usually seen in small herds. The elegant blackbuck,
blue bull (India's largest antelope) and the graceful chinkara (Indian
gazelle) are other mammals seen at the bets. The Little Rann
of Kutch is a birding paradise and has been declared a Ramsar Site. Birds
here include Steppe, Imperial, and Short-toed Eagle, Houbara Bustard,
flamingos, pelicans, storks and cranes. The best birding is during the
winter months from October to March when waterfowl gather in vast numbers.
These are the months when Demoiselle and Common Crane, and Lesser Flamingo
are seen in incredibly large numbers.
Guests who could
not visit Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary on Day 1 could visit it on their
return to Ahmedabad. Extensions
-
2/3 night Birdwatching Safari Extension in the Great Rann of Kutch Desert Sanctuary
- Naliya Bustard Sanctuary could be considered for avid bird watchers.
This would be between Gir stay and Dasada Stay. The salt impregnated
Great Rann of Kutch is a huge, flat expanse spreading over 16,000 sq km,
interrupted occasionally by small uplands that are locally called bets
(islands). It is one of the largest
seasonal saline wetlands in the world and attracts a large number of waterfowl species like
Flamingo, Pelican, Great Crested Grebe, Black Stork, Brahminy Duck, Common
Pochard, Tuffed Pochard, White Eyed Pochard, Gulls, Terns, Stints, Plovers
and others.
During our stay
guests visit Chhari Dhandh lying between the Banni grassland and Dinodhar
Hill. Dhandh means large, shallow pond of rainwater. Chhari Dhandh is the
largest of Kutchh's almost three dozen dhandhs. Over 50 species of
waterfowl can be found here, including the endangered Indian Skimmer and
Dalmatian pelican. Enjoy a bird watching excursion to the wetlands of
Chhari Dhandh where more than 50,000 waterfowls, 55 distinct animal
species, 32 species of raptors, and some 30,000 birds have been recorded.
Another
significant grassland habitat of Kutch which we will be visiting is the
Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary at Lala near Naliya in Abdasa taluka.
Though covering only about 2 sq km of area, this grassland is very
important for birdwatchers as perhaps the only sanctuary in India where
three species of bustard are found – the endangered Great Indian Bustard
is resident here, the endangered Lesser Florican breeds here during the
monsoon months, and the near-threatened Macqueen's Bustard is a winter
visitor. A variety of other birds are also found here.
The sanctuary is
important for birds of prey like the Imperial Eagle that visits in winter.
The sanctuary extends north towards the creeks of Jakhau along the coast
of Kutch where large flocks of flamingos, herons, egrets, sandpipers and
other birds can be seen. Those with an with an interest in mammalian
wildlife may see Wolf, Jungle Cat, Desert Cat and Chinkara (Indian
Gazelle)
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