Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary

Just 176 kms from Delhi is a very special wilderness - the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The 28.73 sq km lake and wetland was artificially created by the Maharaja of Bharatpur in the 19th century. By building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation canal, he converted this low lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to support thousands of water-birds.

Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird watchers. Over 300 species of birds are found here and raised paths, camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by boat in the early hours of the morning is also an unforgettable experience. There are mixed heronries on the half submerged babul trees and the cacophony is unbelievable as painted storks, open bills, spoon bills, egrets, cormorants, white ibis and multitudes of others, tend their young. Jacanas with their iridescent colours and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading over the floating vegetation. While harriers and fishing eagles circle overhead in search of prey, the pied kingfisher hovers dramatically over the water in a flurry of wings. There are varieties of storks and cranes and the local sarus crane is elegant in a livery of grey and red.

Every year Bharatpur waits with bated breath for the arrival of the Siberian cranes. There are only two wintering places for this rare species one in Iran and other in Bharatpur. These beautiful birds with their distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 km from their summer retreats in Siberia.

The forest around the lake at Bharatpur harbours the sambar, chital, nilgai, jackal, hyena, fox, mongoose and porcupine. Occasionally, a fishing cat can be seen scooping its prey from waters edge. Pythons are also commonly seen sunning themselves along the edge of the paths or at Python point.

The marshes of Keoladeo (Bharatpur) was the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur. It was developed in the late 19th century by creating small dams and bunds in an area of natural depression to collect rainwater and by feeding it with an irrigation canal. Over the years, the lakes attracted great numbers of waterfowl and the Maharajas held grand shoots with family, friends and visiting dignitaries. Keoladeo 1956 as a bird sanctuary, 1981 as a national park. Two-thirds of the park lies under water, the extent and volume depending on the intensity of the rains. The remaining one-third of the park is covered in dry deciduous forests  and extensive grasslands. On the raised ground outlining the wetlands grow a profusion of Acacia trees, where the resident water birds nest, often in large mixed colonies, a spectacular sight during the monsoon.

Keoladeo is famous as one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. It is also an excellent place to watch mammals like Golden Jackal, Striped Hyaena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and wild Boar. The park derives its name from the temple of Keoladeo (Shiva) and ‘ghana’ which locally means dense, implying the nature of the vegetation. During the cool winter months it is also possible to see large Indian Pythons sunning themselves.

Ranthambhor National Park
Ranthambore encompasses nearly 152 square miles (392 sq. kms.) of dry deciduous forest in south western Rajasthan and, in the heart of this forest, the Aravali and Vindhya ranges meet. The Park, consisting of numerous valleys and flat-topped hills, is set between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The terrain is rugged and there are rocky ridges, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools. The river Banas, and its tributary Kandoli, flow through it.  Ranthambore's royal past manifests itself in the picturesque ruins that dot the Park. There are lake palaces, chhatris, old fortifications and a majestic thousand year old fortifications and a majestic thousand year old fort on a height overlooking the Park. The forest rest house at the foot of the Ranthambore fort is located in the lovely Jogi Mahal. It overlooks a tank the pretty Padam Talao, afloat with water lilies. The  landscape is dotted with ancient banyan trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts. The terrain is made up of massive rock formations, steep scarps, perennial lakes and streams and forest suddenly opening up into large areas of savannah. The forest is in fact of a typical tropical dry deciduous variety and the main trees are kardhas (Anogeissus pendula) , palas, khair, ebony, ber and others.  For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles (including the marsh crocodile) & amphibians and 30 mammals.

Sariska Tiger Reserve
Sariska Tiger Reserve lies in the Alwar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a prime tiger country. The forest is typical dry deciduous, dramatically changing with the change in season. The terrain is undulating  plateaux and wide valleys. Besides tiger, herbivores like spotted deer, Sambar and Nilgai are commonly seen and found in a good density at Sariska.

Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary
Kumbhalgarh is just 90 kms. from Jodhpur on the Udaipur - Pali - Jodhpur road. This jungle adjoins the historical Kumbhalgarh Fort and used to shield the fort from invaders. Now it protects the rare species of animals, struggling for their survival. Situated in the lush green region of Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh is the only sanctuary of Rajasthan, where activities of the rarely found wolf can be seen. More than forty wolves inhabit the Joba area of the sanctuary. During summer, when water becomes scarce, pack of wolves roaming around water holes is a common sight.

Desert National Sanctuary
Desert National Sanctuary holds a very important place in the state of Rajasthan mainly because it houses many wildlife creatures like desert cat, fox, hare, spiny tail, imperial sand grouse, Indian bustards, falcons and sand fish which are rare in other wildlife zoos. The desert animals which would be difficult to trace in other areas are a plenty in this region. The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar desert and its diverse fauna. Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes which are quite suitable for the chinkara to move at high speed. The blackbuck is another common antelope of this region. Its other notable inhabitants are the desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf and desert cat. Sudashri forest post is the ideal place for observing the wildlife of Desert National Park and is the most suitable in the entire 3162 sq. kms. of this park for watching and photographing the activities of the animals from behind cover.