Lions & Wolves

Parks & Accommodation

Gir National Park

Gir is the last remaining bastion of the Asiatic Lion. The latest census indicates that the lion population in and around the park is over 500 individual adults. This forest is partly dry deciduous and partly dry savannah forest.
The forest is supported by seven perennial rivers, four of which have dams and the reservoirs from these dams also help support the diverse flora and fauna in this region.

Wildlife species to look out for in these jungles are: Asiatic lion, leopard (a very high density), stripped hyena, golden jackals, honey badger, jungle cats, desert cats and the rare rusty spotted cat, crocodiles, cobras–spectacled and black, Russell’s viper and the Indian mongoose.
Key prey species include nilgai (one of the largest antelopes in India), Chinkara or the Indian gazelle, four-horned antelope, chital deer and sambar deer along with macaques, langurs and wild boars.

Some of the bird species found here include crested serpent eagle, Bonelli’s eagle (endangered), crested hawk-eagle, brown fish owl, Indian eagle-owl, rock bush-quail, pygmy woodpecker, black-headed oriole, crested tree swift and Indian pitta.

Other attractions from a photography perspective are the Maldhari herdsmen.

The Fern

The Fern is rated as the best accommodation currently available in Gir. Although not a forest lodge, it is more of a comfortable resort offering comfortable and spacious rooms, villas and tents.

Blackbuck Wildlife Sanctuary

The Blackbuck Wildlife Sanctuary is a hidden gem, one of the last stands of grassland remaining in the massive alluvial plain running along the Gulf of Khambatt called Bhal. The Bhal is a tapestry of cotton, wheat and other agricultural fields, saline flats, grasslands, pastures, freshwater wetlands and coastal marshes.

Velavadar’s Savannah grasslands and scrub provide optimum habitat for the blackbuck, the handsome Indian antelope. Some of India’s largest herds of this antelope can be seen in this park. The key predator of Velavadar is the Indian wolf, an endangered species. Indian wolves generally hunt in pairs or small packs. In open country they may give a sustained chase to their prey. Velavadar is also one of the most likely places to view a striped hyena, a species that is rarely seen elsewhere because of its nocturnal habits. Velavadar is also well-known for its concentration of raptors. Short-toed eagle are often seen, while eagles like imperial, greater spotted and steppe could also be seen at Velavadar in winter. Other raptors often seen are kestrel, laggar falcon, black-shoulder kite and shikra. The most spectacular sight is the winter roost of harriers, mostly Montagu’s and pallid but also marsh and the occasional hen; thousands of them have been seen settling down to roost among the grasslands on a winter evening. This is widely rated as the world’s largest harrier roost. Eurasian eagle owl hunts here and could be seen even in daylight.

The Blackbuck Lodge

The Blackbuck Lodge is one of the most amazing wildlife resorts of Western India, set in several acres of grassland about an hour from Velavadar. The barren lands were reclaimed over the years by planting indigenous vegetation and allowing the savannah grasses to take over the plains. This has created a wildlife paradise where herds of antelope, the endangered Indian grey wolf and globally-threatened birds can be seen. The centre-piece of the resort is a water body that has been created like a natural lake with aquatic vegetation. Along the water body are canopied sit-outs from where you can get close views of birdlife on the edge of the lake.

Little Rann of Kutch

The area is famous as the world’s last refuge of the Indian wild ass (Khur), hence its name; the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.
Though a bleak landscape it is rich in biodiversity and is an ecologically important area for wildlife and many local and migratory water birds like cranes, ducks, pelicans, flamingos and land birds like sandgrouse, francolins and the Indian bustards. Besides the wild ass the park is also home to the Indian grey wolf, desert fox, desert cat and the stripped hyena.

Besides tourism, the major economy of the area is on salt panning and shrimp farming. The villages in the immediate vicinity of the park are inhabited by a number of interesting communities such as Kharapat Rabari, Mirs, Bharvads, Dangasia, Jats & Kolis.
Another attraction about safaris in this region is the possibility of organizing safaris on horseback, however this has to be booked in advance and there is a separate pricing structure for the same. Non-riders can explore the country in open jeeps.

The Rann Riders

Rann Riders is an ethnically designed eco-resort, set among wetlands and agricultural fields. The resort has imaginatively designed cottages that blend with the rural countryside in which it is situated. Located near Dasada village, it makes the ideal base to explore the culture, weaves and handicrafts of the Surendranagar district. The resort offers jeep, horse and camel safaris in the Little Rann of Kutch, habitat of Asiatic Wild Ass and a birdwatching paradise.