Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary also popularly known as Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary or Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary notified as such in April 1981 and subsequently denotified in 1995 with reduced area, is a unique eco-system in the Lakhpat

Lakhpat

Lakhpat fort town is a small town in Kachchh district of Gujarat, India within the fort walls of the 18th-century Lakhpat fort. The literal meaning of Lakhpat is the city of millionaire, however today it is sparsely populated Ghost town, a city of ruins of buildings and a magnificent fort...

taluka of Kutch district

Kutch District

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....

in the state of Gujarat, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The desert forest in this sanctuary is said to be the only one of its kind in India. Located in the arid zone, a part of it is a seasonal wetland. It has 15 threatened wildlife species and has desert vegetation comprising thorn and scrub forests. Its biodiversity has some rare animals and birds, and rare flowering plants. Wildlife Institute of India

Wildlife Institute of India

The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...

(WII) has identified it as one of the last remaining habitats of the Cheetah

Cheetah

The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...

in India and a possible reintroduction

Reintroduction

Reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild in zones formerly inhabited by said species but where it has disappeared from for a number of reasons, from captivity or relocated from other areas where the species still survives in...

site for the species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

. The most sighted animal here is the Chinkara

Chinkara

The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...

(population estimated in the range of 1200–1500), which is currently the flagship species of the sanctuary.

"De-notification" in favor of Mining Industry

In 1992, the Gujarat state government's department of mining and geology pointed out that there were huge deposits of limestone, lignite (brown coal), bentonite and bauxite inside the protected area of the sanctuary and argued that the ban on mining in the sanctuary was holding back development of the local economy.

An order dated July 27, 1993 of the Gujarat State Government initially de-notified the Sanctuary, by annulling the earlier notification of 1981 under which Narayan Sarovar had been declared a wildlife sanctuary. It issued a decree which abolished the original sanctuary and established a new one, consisting of 16 disjointed patches. This de-notification had reduced the area of the sanctuary from765.79 square kilometre to disjointed ribbons of land totaling only 94.87 square kilometre in favor of commercial mining interests. The commercially biased court order reduced the area to a mere one-eighth of the original size, with a comment that the area was “substantially in excess of the requirements of a Sanctuary”. Following the de-notification, the Gujarat state government planned to grant a lease to a cement

Cement

In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...

company for open-cast mining in 2,000 hectares of land inside the original erstwhile Sanctuary to allow the mining of limestone, lignite and bauxite and for other industrial additives as it seemed an ideal location for a cement factory. The country's, or even Asia's, largest cement manufacturing unit was planned to be built there. Open-cast Limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

mining is known to be harmful to the environment resulting in the release of large clouds of dust. Environmentalists feared that in the arid

Arid

A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...

region of Kachchh district, these dust clouds would have harmful effects on both vegetation and wildlife as the limestone dust would condense in the cool nights settling on the leaves proving disastrous for the forests in the vicinity.

'Environmental Activists' challenge "De-notification" in Court

Several environment groups in the country challenged the de-notification decision in the courts, claiming it to be illegal because it had not been approved by the Gujarat state legislative assembly. The de-notification was challenged in the High Court of Gujarat and the Supreme Court of India

Supreme Court of India

The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...

resulting in a legal battle between the Government of Gujarat

Government of Gujarat

The Government of Gujarat also known as the State Government of Gujarat, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 26 districts...

and the 'Environmental Activists' along with inputs (adverse impacts on the sanctuary by limestone mining within its vicinity) provided by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

which had initially brought the whole issue of de-notification to public light through its media campaign. In March 1995 the Gujarat High Court quashed the government decree, restoring the original sanctuary. But the court refused to comment on the "desirability or otherwise of the reduction of the sanctuary area".

Reduction in size of protected area to allow open-cast mining

In August 1995, the Gujarat state legislative assembly taking advantage of the court's reluctance to support the sanctuary approved a reduction in the size of the sanctuary area from 765.79 square kilometre to 444.23 square kilometre thus stripping protection from more than 40 per cent of the original protected area of the sanctuary and maintained that there were around 1200 chinkaras and that the smaller area was more than adequate for them.

The new boundaries of the smaller sanctuary were carefully drawn to exclude the rich limestone and mineral-bearing areas. Environment groups contest that cement makers, eager for new sources of limestone, have been the main driving force behind the Gujarat state government's actions. The industry department of the state has been receiving several applications to build cement factories in the de-notified area.

The Gujarat state assembly also stressed that Gujarat with its poor power supply cannot afford to ignore its brown coal deposits. The first lignite-fueled power generation station was built inside the sanctuary in 1991 and the second is now planned in Akri.

Some miners had moved inside the boundaries of the sanctuary even before the 1993 decree that had initially abolished it escalating the mining and quarrying. Local forest officials believe that chinkara population is declining in the sanctuary and that their numbers are dwindling because their habitat is being destroyed. Pollution from the power station and the heavy traffic through the protected area also disrupts wildlife. Mining has made the water table salty, driving local villagers out of the area.

Geography

The sanctuary is bounded by geographic coordinates of 23°27′N 68°30′E and 23°42′N 68°57′E. It is delimited by the Kori creek on the northwest, mangrove

Mangrove

Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...

forest on the west, while prominent land features form its northern and southern limits. While the northwest and western part exhibit a flat topography towards the sea shore, the northeastern part has undulating topography of minor hill ranges; the elevation of the sanctuary near the coast (near Tahera village) is 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) (above mean sea level

Above mean sea level

The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...

). In the hill section it is 157 metres (515.1 ft) (a.m.s.l) at Manijal hill in Kaniyaro Rakhal. The rivers and streams flowing through the sanctuary are small and ephemeral

Ephemeral

Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....

in nature (Kapurasi and Kali are the two river systems) since rainfall is very scanty and erratic. Surface water is being harnessed at 15 reservoirs that surround the sanctuary. Ground water potential is meagre and water is saline in the sanctuary area. The number of villages in the sanctuary at present is reported to be 32 (1997–98) vis-à-vis 56 villages before de-notification of 1995. It is also reported that the sanctuary has been subjected to deforestation due to anthropogenic pressures; with the mining activities permitted after de-notification causing considerable stress on the sanctuary.

Geology
Geological formations in the sanctuary area primarily consist of basalt

Basalt

Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...

ic rocks on the eastern part, tertiary formation in the central part comprising numimulistic limestone

Limestone

and shale

Shale

Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...

bordering the basaltic rocks in south and up to Lakhpat, recent alluvium

Alluvium

Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...

in a belt of 5–15 km (3.1–9.3 mi) along the coast and scattered coastal sand dunes are on the western boundary. The area is rich in minerals such as limestone in 49 square kilometre belt (assessed as 1270 million tones) extends from the south Saran Nani village to Lakhpat), lignite in a belt of 32.5 square kilometre (15 million tonnes) and bentonite; lignite and bentonite are being mined close to Panandhro and Saran villages, while the mining of lime stone is yet to begin. Sandy alluvium, clay and black loam are the soil types identified in the sanctuary area. However, vegetation in the central area of the sanctuary is good in view of black loamy soil found here, which is fertile and has better moisture retaining capacity.

Climate

The sanctuary has a tropical climate where summer is very hot. The arid climate has recorded maximum temperature varying from (40–42 °C (104–107.6 F) and a minimum of (10–12 °C (50–53.6 F). During summer, May and June are the hottest months with dusty storms. In winter, December and January are the coldest months. Rainfall is very meagre; the average annual rainfall of Lakhpat (Dayapar station) is reported as 349.2 millimetres (13.7 in) (average of 25 years data). Evapo-transpiration rate varies between 1850–1900 mm (72.8–74.8 in)/year.

Fauna

The sanctuary harbours not only three types of Great Indian Bustards and Lesser Florican

Lesser Florican

The Lesser Florican , also known as the Likh, is a large bird in the bustard family and the only member of the genus Sypheotides. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon...

but is also habitat for the Black Partridge

Black Partridge

The Black Partridge also known as the Black Wood Partridge, is a small partridge with a thick bill, grey legs and dark brown iris. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Melanoperdix....

, several species of hepetofauna, a large number of bird species (terrestrial and aquatic) including 19 identified species of raptors

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

.

Avifauna
The Avifauna study of the sanctuary was specifically undertaken at the initiative of the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, in 1997–98 to evolve a 'Management Plan' that conserves the bird species. The study has identified 161 species (46 families) of which 112 are resident species (of 36 families) and 38 are migrants – majority are wetland birds – belonging to 13 families, vis-a-vis an earlier study that had identified 112 species of 36 families of which 23 were migrants. The study also provides detailed information of the avifauna in respect of each habitat of the sanctuary for resident and migratory birds, region wise, season wise and feeding habit wise.

The abundant species identified were: Grey Francolin

Grey Francolin

The Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia...

, Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

The Eurasian Collared Dove most often simply called the Collared Dove, also sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian Collared-dove is a species of dove native to Asia and Europe, and also recently introduced in North America....

, Laughing dove

Laughing Dove

The Laughing Dove is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics in Africa south of the Sahara, the Middle East and southern Asia east to India. In India it is also known as the Little Brown Dove...

, Indian robin

Indian Robin

The Indian Robin The Indian Robin The Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatusRasmussen & Anderton emend the species epithet from fulicata to fulicatus since Saxicola is masculine and the -oides ending is always masculine according to ICZN Code 30.1.4.4....

, Red-vented bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

The Red-vented Bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Burma and southwestern China. It has been introduced and has established itself in the wild in many Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa,...

, Common Babbler

Common Babbler

The Common Babbler, Turdoides caudata, is an Old World babbler. They are found in dry open scrub countries in South Asia and also in Iran.-References:...

, House sparrow

House Sparrow

The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...

and Plain Munia. Greater Short-toed Lark

Greater Short-toed Lark

The Greater Short-toed Lark or sometimes just Short-toed Lark is a small passerine bird. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and across temperate Asia from Turkey and southern Russia to Mongolia. It is sometimes considered conspecific with Calandrella cinerea...

(Calandrella brachydactyla) was the common migratory bird seen here in large numbers.

The birds sighted less frequently, called the 'Specialists' were Ortolan Bunting

Ortolan Bunting

The Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana, is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae...

, Desert Warbler

Desert Warbler

The Desert Warbler is a former bird species, which has now been divided into two species:*African Desert Warbler Sylvia deserti*Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana...

, Pied Tit, White-browed Fantail

White-browed Fantail

The White-browed Fantail, Rhipidura aureola, is a small passerine bird.The White-browed Fantail breeds across tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Vietnam. This species is found in forest and other woodland. Three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a tree.- Description :The...

, Lesser Spotted Eagle

Lesser Spotted Eagle

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae...

, Sirkeer Malkoha

Sirkeer Malkoha

The Sirkeer Malkoha or Sirkeer Cuckoo , is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent....

, Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wryneck

The Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, is a species of wryneck in the family of woodpeckers.This species breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and southern Asia. It is a bird of open woodland and orchards...

and Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

The Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied woodpecker found in South Asia.-Description:...

.

Fauna
The faunal diversity consists of 14 species of mammals, nine species of reptiles and six species of snakes. Some of the important ones supported by the sanctuary include: chinkara

Chinkara

The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...

, black buck

Black Buck

For the mammal, see Blackbuck. For the RAF operation, see Operation Black Buck.In post-Reconstruction United States, Black Buck was a racial slur used to describe a certain type of African American men...

, caracal

Caracal

The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...

, desert cat, pangolin

Pangolin

A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...

, Great Indian Bustard, porcupine

Porcupine

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...

, blue bull or Nilgai

Nilgai

The nilgai , sometimes called nilgau, is an antelope, and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India and eastern Pakistan; it is also present in parts of southern Nepal. The mature males appear ox-like and are also known as blue bulls...

(Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian boar (Sus scrofa), Indian wolf (Canis lupus) mangoose (Herpestes edwardei), hare

Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

, Striped Hyena

Striped Hyena

The Striped Hyena is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Middle and Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...

(Hyaena hyaena) and the peafowl

Peafowl

Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...

.
The cat family species namely the Caracal (felis caracal

Caracal

) considered endangered in Gujarat and vulnerable internationally, has been seen now in this sanctuary at Kutch, after a lapse of almost 10 years. Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (Bhuj) sighted two of this type of cats in February and March 1998. The other places of its habitat mentioned are in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

in India and some areas in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. It is one of the five species of small cats found in Gujarat, and once found in large numbers, have been sighted very rarely. This felon is a cross between a tiger and wolf and has tufts at the tip of its long ears. Other species in the threatened or vulnerable lists are: Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) – internationally vulnerable; Ratel

Ratel

The honey badger , also known as the ratel, is a species of mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead bearing more anatomical similarities to weasels...

(Mellivora capensis) – vulnerable; Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) – probably in a stage of extermination as it was not seen in the sanctuary; Desert fox (Vulpes vulpes pusila) facing high risk of extinction.

Reintroduction of Cheetah

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary and Banni Grasslands
Banni Grasslands Reserve
Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of...

, both in Kutch, have been classified by Wildlife Institute of India

Wildlife Institute of India

(WII) as the last remaining habitats of the Cheetah

Cheetah

(Acinonyx jubatus) in India and are proposed as some of the possible sites for the reintroduction

Reintroduction

of the species

Species

in India. Asiatic Cheetah

Asiatic Cheetah

The Asiatic Cheetah is now also known as the Iranian Cheetah, as the world's last few are known to survive mostly in Iran. Although recently presumed to be extinct in India, it is also known as the Indian Cheetah...

(Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) that used to occur here are now locally extinct in India and elsewhere, except a very small critically endangered

Critically endangered

Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...

and fragmented

Habitat fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...

population of last few, estimated to be below 100, thought to be surviving only in the central desert

Dasht-e Kavir

Dasht-e Kavir , also known as Kavir-e Namak or Great Salt Desert is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. It is about 800 kilometers long and 320 kilometers wide with a total surface area of about 77,600 square kilometers , making it the Earth's 23rd largest desert...

of Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

. Thus Cheetah experts from around the world have advised India to import and introduce the Cheetah from Africa as genetically it is identical to the ones found in Asia, as latest genetic studies have revealed that the Asian population had separated from the African relatively recently only 5000 years ago which is not enough for a subspecies level differentiation.

Flora

The sanctuary is generally made up of natural desert thorn forests and grasslands - a mixed forest system comprising dry savannah

Savannah

Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...

, desert thorn, tropical euphorbia scrub forest and Salvadora

Salvadora (plant genus)

Salvadora is a genus of tree or shrub in the plant family Salvadoraceae. There are five species, including Salvadora australis, Salvadora oleiodes and Salvadora persica...

scrub forest, Rann saline scrub and desert dune. In view of the edaphic climax of the forest, the tree height in the sanctuary ranges from 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft). Scanty desert vegetation in the sanctuary is attributed to five factors: salinity at all depths in most areas, scanty rainfall, high velocity of desert winds, shallow soils and undulating topography of its hill region. Thirteen vegetation communities, 32 varieties of trees and 14 varieties of climbers have been recorded.

Specifically, the forest vegetation types identified in the sanctuary are: Dry deciduous scrub, Salvadora scrub, Desert Thorn Forest, Babul Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica is a species of Acacia native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent...

forests, Tropical Euphorbia scrub, Dry Savannah type vegetation, – Salvadora association, Gorad (Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...

Senegal), Zizyphus scrub and Capparis
Capparis
Capparis is a flowering plant genus in the family Capparaceae which is included in the Brassicaceae in the unrevised APG II system. These plants are shrubs or lianas and are collectively known as caper shrubs or caperbushes...

association. The predominant plant species identified are the Gorad and the Babul; Gorad, is the main species which covers an extensive area in the eastern zone while Babul is the dominant species in the western zone where lime stone is the geological formation in some of the patches. Invasive species of Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...

is noted to be spreading in the sanctuary resulting in decrease of grassy and herbaceous patches. The invasive vegetation of Prosopis chilensis is reported in an area of 12.39 square kilometre in the sanctuary.

The flowering plants listed in the sanctuary include 252 species, important ones being Desi baval, gorad, hermo, ber

BER

See here for Ber Ber is a tropical fruit growing on the tree Ziziphus mauritiana.BER is the IATA area code for airports in the Berlin region, Germany:* Berlin-Tegel Airport...

, pilu

Pilu

Pilu is a raga of Indian classical music. It is mostly used in light-classical forms, like the Khayal, of north Indian classical style.-Aroha & Avaroha :Arohana'P 'N S g m P N S''N S G m P N S'S G m P D S'S R m P N S'Avarohana...

, thor, gando baval, gugal, ingorio, kerdo and cariso

Cariso

Cariso is a kind of Trinidadian folk music, and an important ancestor of calypso music. The word may come from carieto, a Carib word that means joyous song. Cariso used satirical and insulting lyrics, and is related to the picong tradition. Cariso singers, called chantwells, sang primarily in...

Habitat conservation

The desert ecosystem of the sanctuary has been affected by several factors. Some of the key factors identified are: restricting the reserve area and allocating limestone areas for mining, which not only encroached on this precious forest but also disturbed the habitat of avifauna and flora of the forest; the encroachment for cultivation by farmers is also a major factor that reduces the reserve area and restricts movement of wild life; cattle grazing and cutting of trees for fuel and other purposes has also caused denudation that affects bird habitats. The conservation measures suggested include preservation of wetland, particularly the water bodies in the sanctuary to retain and attract migratory birds, availability and creation of hole-nester by prevention of clearance of dead trees, and attention to globally or nationally threatened species by protecting their habitats; the two species specifically referred are the Pied Tit (White-napped Tit) considered endemic to India and the Macqueen's Bustard

Macqueen's Bustard

The MacQueen's Bustard, Chlamydotis macqueenii, is a large bird in the bustard family. It breeds in southwestern Asia. It has recently been split as a separate species from the Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata of the Canary Islands and north Africa...

(Houbara Bustard

Houbara Bustard

The Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, is a large bird in the bustard family.-Description:The Houbara Bustard is a small to mid-sized bustard. It measures in length and spans across the wings. It is brown above and white below, with a black stripe down the sides of its neck. In flight, the...

); in this context, the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

The Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied woodpecker found in South Asia.-Description:...

is also mentioned, as their numbers are reported to be small.

there is one more species of rabbit is can be seen because of animal friendly peoples and good environmental conditions and fox also here in good condition and national bird is here and easily visible and no. of reptiles are present here some are poisonous and some are friendly

Interpretation centre

An 'Interpretation Centre' at Loriya next to the sanctuary was established in 2006 with the objective of providing important information to the public about the sanctuary. Even 30–35 hutments were constructed as part of the centre. It was inaugurated with a lot of fanfare when the 'Kutch Utsav' was organized here. Unfortunately, the Centre has remained neglected without any staff to man it (funds constraint is mooted as one of the reasons). The forest officials say that the centre would function once funds are allocated.

Visitor information

The sanctuary is located 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) from Bhuj, which is the district headquarters of the Kachchh. Kutch is well connected by road, rail and air links with the rest of the country.

"De-notification" in favor of Mining Industry

'Environmental Activists' challenge "De-notification" in Court

Reduction in size of protected area to allow open-cast mining

Geography

Climate

Fauna

Reintroduction of Cheetah

Flora

Habitat conservation

Interpretation centre

Visitor information

See also