Western India

India is blessed with a very rich and varied flora and fauna. The varied topography and a modest and favorable climate of India support a large variety of plant and wild species. India has 88 National Parks and 492 wildlife sanctuaries, which are home to over 390 mammal and 1,230 bird species, making the country one of the richest in wildlife resources.

Within India, West India is an exciting place for wildlife enthusiasts, mainly because it resides some of the unique wild attractions in its numerous National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the most popular wildlife destinations of India are located in West India, especially in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The moderate climate in West India supports the growth of a unique flora and fauna. Over 40 mammals species and more than 450 birds species of have been identified and listed in the various sanctuaries in west India. The Sasangir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the only home of the world-famous Asiatic lions, numbering about 300.

The most important and famous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in west India are Sasangir Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat), the Little Rann of Kutch (also famous as the Dhangadhra Sanctuary), the Velavadar National Park (Gujarat) and the Marine National Park and Sanctuary (Gujarat). Other notable National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries in west India are the Krishnagiri Upavan National Park (Maharashtra), Tadoba National Park (Maharashtra), Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat) and the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa.

The Marine Wildlife Sanctuary in Pirotan Island is the India's first Marine National Park. Marine Wildlife Sanctuary (Pirotan) was established in 1980 and was declared a National Park in 1982. The park is known for Ridley Turtles, Shrimps, Sponges, Eels, Green Sea Urchin and Dolphins among many others. The Velavadar National Park was established in 1969 and is famous for its Blackbuck population. The Little Rann of Kutch was set up in 1973 and is famous for the Indian Wild Ass, Wolf and Desert Cat.

Krishnagiri Upavan National Park (Maharashtra). Sanjay Gandhi Rashtriya Udyan (National Park)  Formerly known as Borvili, this park protects an important scenic area close to Bombay. Kanheri Caves and Vihar, Tulsi and Powari Lakes; water birds, smaller types of wildlife. Outdoor movie, nearby Lion Safari Park. Airport: Bombay 20km. Railhead: Borvili 3km. Season: October-June. Accommodation: Tourist Cabins. Popularly known as 'Krishnagiri Upavan, or the Borivali National Park' the Rashtriya Udyan is spread over a very vast area of about 104 sq. Kms. with a thick forest, lakes, river, wild life, greenery, hills and a beautiful garden. The famous Kanheri Caves, Vihar Lake, Tulsi Lake, Teen Murti, Tiger Lion Safari Park are all located in this National Park. It is at a distance of 1Km. from the Borivali Railway Station on Western Railway. The Western Express Highway is quite near from the main gate of the park. Tadoba National Park (Maharashtra). Teak forest and lake; tiger, leopard, nilgai, gaur. Viewing by night. Airport: Nagpur 208km. Railhead: Chandrapur 45km. Season: March-May. Accommodation: Within the Park. Tadoba is the oldest National Park of Maharashtra. It is a compact National Park of about 120 sq.km. perched at an altitude of 200m and is placed 100 km south of Nagpur and 45 km north of the district headquarter and industrial town of Chandrapur. Tadoba National Park is like Heaven for Wild life enthusiasts which attracts tourist towards it. Tadoba is also known as the 'Jewel of Vidarbha'. The area around Tadoba was once highly populated by the Gond tribes. Tadoba name was derived from their local deity 'Taru', who was killed in an epic fight with a tiger. He is still worshiped by the local villagers as the deity of 'Tadoba'. The Tadoba National Park is 623 sq.km. in area,consisting of two forest rectangles of the Tadoba and Andhari Range. Tadoba is also one of the India's 28 Project Tiger Reserve. Tadoba has around 50 tigers along with some rare Indian wildlife such as, Leopards, Sloth Bears, Gaur, Wild Dogs, Hyenas, Civet and Jungle cats, and many species of Indian deer like Sambar, Cheetal, Nilgai, and Barking Deer. Tadoba also has a lake which sustains the Marsh Crocodile,which were once common all over Maharashtra. It is the main attractions of the park,which is the natural habitat of many water birds. The mesmerizing trails of Tadoba could be a treasured experience of a lifetime. Sasan Gir National Park (Gujarat), Forested plains and lake; only home of Asiatic Lion, sambar, chowsingha, nilgai, leopard, chinkara and wild boar Airport Rajkot 153km. Railhead: Sasan Gir 0,5km. Season: January-May. Sasangir National Park was established in order to conserve the Asiatic Lion, on 18th September 1965, as a Forest Reserve with an area of about 2,450 hectares. A principal part of the Junagadh District of Gujarat, it is 90 kms from the Keshod Airport in the Kathiawar (Saurashtra) Peninsula. A small town named Sasan with a forest rest house, is the headquarters of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. A hilly terrain with a dense network of rivers is the distinct feature of Sasangir National Park. Sasangir was declared partially as a Wildlife Sanctuary and partially a National Park in 1975. Gir Wildlife Sanctuary is one and the only existing habitat of the Asiatic lion found only in these forests since 1884 whose statistical figures are around 300 presently. The Asiatic lion differs from the African Lion in its size, which is slightly smaller than its African cousin. The national park is made of three adjoining reserves - the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary inhabiting several water-birds; the Little Rann of Kutch, home to the Indian Wild Ass; and the captivating Flamingo Island make the Sasangir National Park an ideal place for wildlife buffs. The Sasangir National Park boasts of many antique temples like Kankai Mata and Tulsishyam. The best way to explore the national park and enjoy the wildlife viewing in the Sasangir wildlife sanctuary is by jeep safari. The best long jeep drives from Sasan are conducted to Baval Chowk and Kankai, Chodavdi, Tulsishyam and to Kamaleshwar dam. Flora in Sasangir National Park  The Gir is an area with mixed deciduous forests with Teak, Ber, Flame of the forest, Jamun and Babool. A wildlife sanctuary owes a distinct belt of vegetation along the main rivers and streams. The rare tree species like the Jambu, Karanj, Umro, Vad, Kalam, Charal, Sirus and Amli are found here abundantly. These wide and tall, broad leaved and evergreen trees provide a cool shade and moisture to the area. Wildlife in Sasangir Wildlife Sanctuary  The Sasangir National Park accommodates the wild animals like chinkara, wild boar, striped hyena, jackal, common langur, porcupine, hare, black buck and other animals. There are more than 200 bird species including the peafowl, grey partridge, Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, jungle bush quail, painted sandgrouse, common green pigeon and several species of doves. The Kamleshwar Dam in Sasangir Wildlife Sanctuary is home to the marsh crocodile commonly seen in the river. There is also the only crocodile-breeding farm in this national park.  Accommodation: Within the Park. Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat). Lake; migratory water birds; indigenous birds include flamingos. Airport: Ahmedabad 64kms. Railhead: Viramgam 40km. Season: November-February. Accommodation: Available near the lake. Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary A black tailed godwit gracefully descends upon the tranquil water, flutters its wings and sails on. A small, brown and white wader with a slightly up curved bill, the bird has traveled 3500 kms from its nesting ground in Central Europe to spend the winter at Nalsarovar in Gujarat! Clouds upon clouds of more than 200 types of birds land in this lake having made an equally long journey to escape the harsh winter of their nesting areas. Here they find food and warmth. These migrant birds visit Nalsarovar every year from November to February. During these four months water is plentiful and fish, insects and aquatic plants abound in the lake - an ideal environment for the birds. Nalsarovar at this time is a birdwatcher's delight. When food and water are scarce in Nalsarovar, some birds go away for short periods to nearby areas and return to the lake after monsoon to a feast of fish and insects. These are the resident birds. The lake - Nalsarovar - and the wetlands around it were declared a bird sanctuary in 1969. Spread over 120 sq.kms, the lake and the extensive reed beds and marshes are an ideal habitat for aquatic plants and animals. The lake attracts a large variety of birds like plovers, sandpipers and stints.   Little Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat). Desert; herds of khur (Indian wild ass), wolf, caracal. Airport: Ahmedabad 195km. Railhead: Dhrangadhra 25km. Season: October-June. AccommodationWithin the Sanctuary / Dhrangadhra. Arrange access at Bhuj. Greater Rann of Kutchh - Accessible from Bhuj, Greater Rann of Kutchh is land of vast salt marshes and semi-desert areas. The marshes are also a resting site for migratory birds, and are home to over 200 species of bird including the threatened Lesser Florican and Houbara Bustard arrive here in winter. Banni Grasslands bordering the Great Rann of Kutch. Lying on one of India's most important avian highways (both the birds flying from the southward in winter and the few species migrating eastward from the middle-east and Africa stopover in this area), this is a top site for birding with waterfowl congregations at Charri Fulay lake, grassland and scrubland birds, as also characteristic desert species seen in the vicinity. This is also one of India's most likely sites for Grey Hypocolius. Tawny and Bonneli's Eagle breed in the area, and there are good-sized roosts of aquila eagles.  Chinkara or Indian Gazelle and desert rodents are easily seen and wolf, hyena and desert cat are possible sightings. Lala Bustard Sanctuary here is One of 10 best sites in India for the Great Indian Bustard, this sanctuary is good for watching larks, chats, sandgrouse, etc. The Stoliczka's Bush Chat and White-naped Tit are globally threatened species that could be seen, and this is also a good site for viewing Marshall's Iora, Syke's Crested Lark, White-bellied Minivet and Black Francolin. The coastal creeks to the north of the sanctuary are good for close-views of flamingoes, herons, egrets. Chinkara, Nilgai antelope, Indian Wolf, Indian and White-footed Desert Foxes, Jackal are possible sightings, and Ratel has been seen.  Velvadar National Park (Gujarat). New Delta grasslands, large concentration of blackbuck. Airport A Railhead: Bhavnagar 65km. Season: October- June. Accommodation: Within the Park.

Velavadar National Park (Blackbuck National Park) - 50 kms from Bhavnagar

This is spread over 36 sq. kms of area and is visited for its population of black buck and the Indian Antelope. Other mammals seen here are fox, jackal, jungle cat and wild pig. Even as you enter the gate, sheer number of Blackbucks are sure to enthrall any guest. 

 Among the birds you can see Sandgrouse, larks and harrier roost.

Western Ghats

Located in southwestern India, the mountains of the Western Ghats are a delight to lovers of nature. The rugged and steep western-facing slopes of this range are blanketed in dense rainforests that are home to thousands of unique plant and animal species, including primates like the magnificent lion-tailed macaque and a variety of reptiles and amphibians such as geckos and burrowing frogs. The gentler, drier eastern slopes of the Ghats are home to the largest single population of Asian elephants in the world, as well as one of the largest populations of tigers.

WCS has worked in this landscape for over twenty years, helping shape the policies that protect wildlife and their habitats, especially in the state of Karnataka. The future of this majestic landscape depends on a delicate balancing act that provides for the needs of the region’s expanding human population while managing the natural resources in a sustainable, wildlife-friendly fashion, and also keeping at bay development projects which fragment and degrade wildlife habitats.

Fast Facts

An estimated 10,000 Asian elephants live here. The rare nilgiri langur monkey resides here as well. Tiger populations in the state of Karnataka are scientifically estimated using camera traps and DNA extracted from their scats.

Challenges

The impacts of economic development, agricultural expansion, road construction, and livestock grazing—as well as extensive harvesting of timber and wildlife in the past—threaten the wildlife of the Western Ghats. Populations of deer, wild pigs, and wild cattle have all, at varying times, been affected by heavy hunting, which in turn imperils the status of the region’s tigers who prey on these animals. Currently, the biggest threat to the region’s wildlife is the fragmentation and loss of wildlife habitats due to development projects.

WCS (wildlife conservation society) Responds

We have worked with local governments and local partners in the region to create and expand protected areas, aid local communities to become more self-sufficient and sustainable in their livelihoods, and shape the policies of natural resource use to be more wildlife-friendly. In Nagarahole National Park and Bandipur Tiger Reserve, numbers of tigers are holding steady, even as they are in sharp decline everywhere else in India. WCS hopes to shore up the populations of wild tigers and other species by consolidating habitat through land purchase and creating a network of biologically healthy protected areas along the Western Ghats mountains in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Jamnagar: Jamnagar is situated 90 kms from Rajkot and 150 kms from Dwarka and around Jamnagar there are number of sites that would be of great interest for any Bird watcher.

The dams around Jamnagar like Vijarkhi Dam, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Sasoi Dam, Sinhan Dam are also wonderful spots for Bird watching.

2 hours drive west of Jamnagar is Narara Island, one of India's best sites for Crab-plover. Kentish plover, oystercatcher, ruddy turnstone, broad-billed sandpiper, sanderling, dunlin, curlew sandpiper, black-headed gull, Pallas' gull, temmincks stint, lesser-crested tern, gull-billed tern, common tern, little tern, black-bellied tern, whiskered tern, whiskered tern, darters, western reef egret and other birds can be watched at the mudflats. Wading in the tidal zone during the low tide hours can also be productive to watch tropical coral reef fauna like octopus, brittle star, sea cucumber, sponges, etc. 

A a short drive from Jamnagar is Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary. Its possible to site Indian Skimmer and Black-necked Stork. A variety of waterfowl and waterside birds can be spotted here. 

Another area ex-Jamnagar is Charakhla where there are salt pans and shrimp breeding centres. The saline water rich in shrimps attract flamingos, white pelicans, huge flocks of black-necked and great-crested grebe, etc.

Pirotan Island (accessible from Jamnagar via a Boat ride) is one of the 42 islands of the Gulf of Kutchh which is famous for its corals and beaches and also a popular spot for bird lovers. The island has a light house and one can find as many wader birds. 

Another area Lakhota lake has about 75 species. Walking in the early mornings especially in the winter months & sitting under the beautiful domes allows you to experience nature with the birds. One can watch gulls, ducks, flamingoes, rosy pastors, etc.

Another area is Barda hills Sanctuary (90 kms from Jamnagar towards Porbander).are full of woods and grasslands especially immediately after the rains at  the start of winter. Walking down the trails after reaching the Kileshwar Temple complex gives you chance to spot nesting of Pond heron, nesting of Cattle Egret, Indian Pitta, Great breasted Warlbler, White eye, Spotted munia, Little egret, Green pigeon, Red vented bulbul, Indian robin, Tickle's blue fly catcher, Paradise fly catcher, Spotted dove, Magpie robin, Black ibis, Nesting of Sand grouse, Common iora, Pied cuckoo, Indian pea fowl, Ashy prinia, Plain prinia, White breasted kingfisher, Little ring dove, Spotted owlet and also experience nature untouched by humans. The other wild life found here are : Jackal, Wolf, Jungle cat, Mongoose, Rabbits, Porcupine, Hyena, Civet, Cobra, etc. 

Oct-March is the best time to arrive for migratory birds 

Jambughoda:

Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary - 70 kms from Vadodara

Full of forests of teak and mahuda trees, bamboo, and other lush vegetation, Jambughoda is home to large populations of diverse wildlife. The leopards are found in good numbers. Other mammals include the wild boar,nilgai (blue bull, the largest antelope in Asia), jackal, hyena, barking deer, sloth bear, and chausingha(four-horned antelope).