Gujarat National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Ramsar Sites

Gujarat National Parks

The Gujarat has 4 National Parks and 23 wildlife sanctuaries which are managed by the Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat.

Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park

• It is located in the Bhal region of Saurashtra.
• It is bordered by the Gulf of Khambhat on the south.
• Vegetation: Savanna grassland.
• Major Fauna: Blackbucks (LC), hyenas, jungle cats.
  • The Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), or the Indian Antelope, is a species of antelope native to India and Nepal.
    • It is widespread in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other areas throughout peninsular India.
    • It is considered as the epitome of grassland.
    • The blackbuck is a diurnal antelope (active mainly during the day).
    • It has been declared as the State Animal of Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh.
    • It is a symbol of purity for Hinduism as its skin and horns are regarded as sacred objects. For Buddhism, it is a symbol of good luck.
• Major Avifauna: Lesser florican (a bustard; CR).

Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• Gir National Park (Sasan Gir) is near Talala Gir. Situated in the Kathiawar Peninsula.
• Lies between the Girnar Hills and the Arabian Sea.
• Today, it is the only area in Asia where Asiatic lions occur. 
• Kamleshwar Dam on Hiran River is called ‘the lifeline of Gir’.
• Declared as a sanctuary in 1965. Notified as a National Park in 1975.
• Also part of the Gir Conservation Area (includes Mitiyala & Pania Sanctuaries)
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous forest.
• Major Flora: Teak, acacia, babul (acacia), tendu and dhak.
• Major Fauna: Asiatic lion (EN), mugger crocodile (VU), leopard, chital, sambar, chausingha, chinkara, blackbuck.
• Threats: Floods, poaching, genetic bottleneck, human-lion conflict

Asiatic Lion

• The Asiatic Lion (also known as the Persian Lion or Indian Lion) is a member of the Panthera Leo Leo subspecies that is restricted to India.
  • Its previous habitats consisted of West Asia and the Middle East before it became extinct in these regions.
• Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions.
• The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions, and rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly.
• Distribution:
  • Asiatic lions were once distributed to the state of West Bengal in east and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, in central India.
  • At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the only abode of the Asiatic lion.
• Threats:
  • Its vulnerability to unpredictable events such as a plague or a natural disaster, poaching and locals near the Gir National Park killing the lions in retaliation for attacks on livestock.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I

Marine National Park (Gulf of Kachchh)

• It is India’s first Marine Wildlife Sanctuary and first Marine National Park which were created in the Gulf of Kutch in 1980 and 1982, respectively.
• It is an archipelago of 42 tropical islands along the northern coast of Jamnagar district and the southern coast of Kutch.
  • Some of the finest coral reef fringe islands are found at Pirotan, Narala, Ajad and Positara, with species of hard and soft coral.
• Lies between the Okha and Jodiya coasts in the Arabian Sea.
• Major Fauna: Corals, sea turtles such as green sea turtles (EN), olive ridleys (VU) and leatherbacks (VU), dugongs (sea cow; VU), Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins.
• Threats: Extraction of corals and sands by cement industries, increased turbidity of water, oil refineries, chemical industries, and mechanized fishing boats.

Vansda (Bansda) National Park

• Also known as Bansda National Park.
• Located in Navsari district, South Gujarat. It is located on the banks of Ambika River in the Western Ghats.
• Lies in the Dangs forest region of the Western Ghats foothills.
• Declared a National Park in 1979. Named after the former princely state of Bansda.
• The park has dwellings of local tribals belonging to Bhil, Gamit, Warli, Kokni, Kunbi and Dangi tribes.
• Vegetation: Deciduous forests.
• Major Flora: Teak, bamboo, sisam trees.
• Major Fauna: Indian leopard, rhesus macaque, small Indian civet, chausingha, Indian (Malabar) giant squirrel.
• Vansda is close to Gira Waterfalls and Botanical Garden at Waghai.

National Park	Key Species/Features	District	Notable Fact
Gir NP	Asiatic Lion	Junagadh, Amreli	Only place with wild Asiatic lions
Marine NP	Coral reefs, marine fauna	Jamnagar	India’s first Marine NP
Velavadar (Blackbuck) NP	Blackbuck, Harriers	Bhavnagar	Tropical grassland NP
Vansda NP	Leopard, pangolin, moist forest	Navsari	Moist forest in tribal Dangs region

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Gujarat

Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Banaskantha district, North Gujarat.
• It is located to the south of Mt. Abu (in Aravallis) at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border.
• Encompasses the area between Balaram and Ambaji – both are sacred pilgrimage towns.
• Declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1989.
• Flora:
  • Falls under the dry deciduous and thorn forest biome
  • Dominant plant species include:
    • Khair, Salai, Dhav, Ber, Babul, Karanj
  • Rich in medicinal plants, herbs, and shrubs
• Major Fauna:
  • Sloth bear, striped hyena, leopard, Nilgai, Indian porcupine, small Indian civet, Indian pangolin.
• Cultural Significance:
  • Close to Ambaji Temple, a major Shakti Peetha
  • Balaram Mahadev Temple lies within the sanctuary
  • Combines religious tourism with eco-tourism

Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

• Barda Wildlife Sanctuary area falls into two districts, Porbandar and Jamnagar.
• Lies in the Saurashtra peninsula, inland from the coastal zone.
• Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1979.
• Formerly known as Rana Barda forest, once used by royal families for hunting.
• It is characteristically abundant in floral diversity, which consists of a good number of medicinal plants.
• Flora:The area has the maximum floral diversity in the state (650 plant species), Gorad, Babul, Dhav, Rayan, Ber, Jamun, Amli, Dhudhlo, Bamboo 
• Fauna: Leopard, Hyena, Wild boar, wolf, Jackal, blue bull, Rare and endangered spotted eagle and crested hawk eagle etc.
• It was a previous range of Asiatic lions. The Gujarat Forest Department has presented its proposal to make BWLS the second home to the lions as part of “Project Lion @ 2047”.

Gaga (Great Indian Bustard) Wildlife Sanctuary

• Situated in Kalyanpur Taluka, Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat.
• Lies on the Saurashtra peninsula on the coast of the Gulf of Kutch.
• Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1988.
• It is established to protect Great Indian Bustard (CR). Along with Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary is one of two great Indian bustard sanctuaries in Gujarat.

Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

• The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the State bird of Rajasthan, is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.
• It is considered the flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• Its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Threat:
  • The bird is under constant threats due to collision/electrocution with power transmission lines, hunting (still prevalent in Pakistan), habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion, etc.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Measures taken to protect GIB:
  • Species Recovery Programme:
    • It is kept under the species recovery programme under the Integrated evelopment of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • National Bustard Recovery Plans:
    • It is currently being implemented by conservation agencies.
  • Conservation Breeding Facility:
    • MoEF&CC, Rajasthan government and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have also established a conservation breeding facility in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer in June 2019.
    • The objective of the programme is to build up a captive population of Great Indian Bustards and to release the chicks in the wild for increasing the population.
  • Project Great Indian Bustard:
    • It has been launched by the Rajasthan government with an aim of constructing breeding enclosures for the species and developing infrastructure to reduce human pressure on its habitats.
  • Eco-Friendly Measures:
    • Task Force for suggesting eco-friendly measures to mitigate impacts of power transmission lines and other power transmission infrastructures on wildlife including the Great Indian Bustard.

Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is famous for Asiatic lions (EN).
• It is located in the Girnar Hills. Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2008.
  • Girnar Hills in Junagadh district of Gujarat, are famous since ancient times as a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains.
• Lies north-east of Gir National Park, forming a crucial wildlife corridor.
• Part of the Kathiawar-Gir ecoregion.
• Religious and Cultural Significance:
  • Home to Girnar Hill, a sacred pilgrimage site for:
    • Jains (notably the Neminath Temple)
    • Hindus (Lord Dattatreya Temple)
  • Annual Girnar Parikrama Festival attracts thousands of pilgrims

Jessore Sloth Bear Wildlife Sanctuary

• Situated in the Banaskantha district.
• It is established to the south of Mt. Abu at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border for the protection of sloth bear (VU).
  • Acts as an important corridor between Rajasthan and Gujarat forests
• Named after Mount Jessore, one of the prominent peaks in the area
• The Banas River separates Jessore Sloth Bear Wildlife Sanctuary from Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Inhabited by tribal communities, such as the Garasia
• Jessore is also a pilgrimage destination due to nearby temples on Jessore Hill

Sloth bears

• Sloth bears are found in Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan and Nepal, predominantly in lowland areas.
• Sloth bears primarily eat termites and ants, and unlike other bear species, they routinely carry their cubs on their backs.
• They are also very fond of honey, hence their alternative name of “honey bear”.
• Sloth bears do not hibernate.

Kutch (Lala-Parjan) Great Indian Bustard Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Lala and Parjan villages, Abdasa Taluka, Kutch district, Gujarat
• It is established to protect Great Indian Bustard (CR) (locally called Ghorad).
• Along with Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary, it is one of two great Indian bustard sanctuaries in Gujarat.

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in the Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat. One of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India.
• Lies close to the India–Pakistan international border
• It is a shallow seasonal saline wetland in the Great Rann of Kutch. 
• Fossils of dinosaurs, crocodiles and whales have been recovered from here.
• Major Avifauna: Greater flamingos.
• Includes the famous Flamingo City – breeding ground of Greater Flamingos
• Flamingo City:
  • A seasonal island in the Rann where thousands of flamingos breed
  • Only known regular nesting site of Greater Flamingos in India
  • Area becomes inaccessible during monsoon flooding, aiding protection

Nal Sarovar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (BS) (Ramsar Site)

• It is a natural freshwater lake (a relict sea) located in the Thar Desert.
• It is the largest wetland Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat.
• The wetland is a lifeline for the Indian Wild Ass (NT) & blackbuck (LC). It is inhabited by migratory birds.
• Avifauna: Flamingos, storks, herons, waterfowls.

Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located near Kori Creek. Its flagship species is chinkara (LC).
• This Wildlife Sanctuary and Banni Grasslands (both in Kutch) have been proposed as possible sites for the reintroduction of the Asiatic cheetah (CR).

Purna Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Western Ghats in Gujarat and Maharashtra and Purna River flows through it.
• It is adjacent to the Vansda (Bansda) National Park.

Shoolpaneswar (Dhumkhal) Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Satpura Range south of the Narmada River.
• It shares a common boundary with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 
• Tapti River separates Shoolpaneswar Wildlife Sanctuary from Purna Wildlife Sanctuary.

Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a man-made reservoir in Mehsana and is the most popular birding place near Ahmedabad after Nal Sarovar.
• Major Avifauna: Flamingos, sarus cranes, great white pelicans, white-rumped vulture, Indian vulture.

Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Little Rann of Kutch.
• It is one of the last places where Indian wild ass (NT) can be spotted.
• It can be considered a large ecotone, a transitional area between marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
• It is dotted with about 74 elevated plateaus or islands, locally called ‘bets’.
• The sanctuary is home to a sizeable population of Rabari and Bharwad tribes.
• Flora:
  • It is full of dry thorny scrub, and there are no large trees except on the fringes and bets.
  • Some of the plants and trees that are found in this sanctuary are Morad, Unt morad, Theg, Dolari, Khijdo, Kerdo, Mithi jar, Kheri pilu, Akado, etc.
• Fauna:
  • Besides Indian Wild Ass, the other mammals found here include Blackbuck, Nilgai, Bluebull, Hare, Wolf, Foxes, Desert Cat, Indian fox, Jackal, Hyena, Wild boar, etc.
  • There is rich birdlife, including the Houbara bustard, Sandgrouse, Pale harrier, Black-shouldered kite, Pelican, etc.
• Threats: Illegal salt panning.

Indian Wild Ass

• It is a sub-species of Asian Wild Ass, i.e., Equus hemionus.
• It is characterized by distinctive white markings on the anterior part of the rump and on the posterior part of the shoulder and a stripe down the back that is bordered by white.
• Distribution: World’s last population of Indian WildAss is restricted to Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat.
• Habitat: Desert and grassland ecosystems.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Near threatened.
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule-I

Khijadiya Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (BS)

• Jamnagar district.
• Protected as a Ramsar site.
• The sanctuary is located at the watershed of Ruparel river and Kalindri at the North East coastal region.
• Sanctuary is located near Narara Island, and has a bio-diversified coral reef.

Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary

• also known as Mitiyala Grasslands.
• Grassland with semi-dry deciduous trees.
• It is almost like an offshoot of Gir Lion Sanctuary.
• The area between the Mitiyala and Gir Sanctuary serves as a passage connecting the two habitats for the wildlife residing in these areas.

Porbandar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary

• In the heart of city of Porbandar.
• It is the only bird sanctuary in Gujarat that provides legal protection to the birds which nest there.

Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Wildlife Sanctuary

• Dahod district.
• The sanctuary falls on the border of Gujarat with Madhya Pradesh.

Ramsar Sites of Gujarat

Khijadia WLS

• It is a freshwater wetland located in Jamnagar District near the Gulf of Kutch. 
• The sanctuary is unique having both fresh water lakes, and salt and freshwater marshlands.
• It was formed following the creation of a bund (dike) to protect farmland from saltwater ingress.
• Endangered Species: Pallas’s Fish-Eagle (EN), Indian Skimmer (EN), Indian Bdellium-Tree (CR).
• The sanctuary is now part of Marine National Park, Jamnagar, the first marine national park in the country. The sanctuary is also part of the Central Asian Flyway.

Nalsarovar BS

• It is the largest natural freshwater lake (a relict sea) in the Thar Desert of Gujarat. 
• The wetland is a lifeline for a satellite population of the endangered Indian Wild Ass (NT).
• Avifauna: Sociable Lapwing (CR), Sarus Crane (VU)

Thol Lake

• It is located in Mehsana district of Gujarat.
• It is a human-made reservoir essential during the dry seasons for Blackbucks (LC).
• Endangered Avifauna: White-Rumped Vulture (CR), Sociable Lapwing (CR)

Wadhvana Wetland

• This human-made reservoir is located in a semi-arid agricultural landscape.
• River Orsang (which joins with the Narmada River at Chandod) flows into the lake.
• The red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), a duck that is otherwise rare in Western India, is regularly recorded here during winter.
• Endangered Avifauna: Pallas’s Fish-Eagle (EN), Sarus Crane (VU), Common Pochard (VU)