The Gujarat state of western India has four National Parks and twenty-three wildlife sanctuaries which are managed by the Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat. [1] [2] [3]
The Gujarat state of western India has four National Parks and twenty-three wildlife sanctuaries which are managed by the Forest Department of the Government of Gujarat. [1] [2] [3]
| Name of National Park | Area km2 | District | Major wildlife supported | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gir Forest National Park | 258.71 | Junagadh | Asiatic lion, leopard, chausingha, spotted deer, hyena, sambar deer, chinkara | 1975 |
| Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar | 34.53 | Bhavnagar | Blackbuck, fox, MacQueen's bustard, lesser florican | 1976 |
| Vansda National Park | 23.99 | Navsari | Leopard, hyena, deer, chausingha | 1979 |
| Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch | 162.89 | Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka | Sponges, corals, jelly fish, seahorse, octopus, pearl oyster, starfish, lobster, dolphin | 1982 |
The wildlife sanctuaries are listed in descending order of area.
| Name of Sanctuary | Area km2 | District | Major wildlife supported | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary | 7506.22 | Kutch | Chinkara, hyena, fox, flamingo, pelicans and other waterfowl and herpetofauna | 1986 |
| Wild Ass Sanctuary | 4953.70 | Kutch | Chinkara, nilgai, blackbuck, onager(wild ass) wolf, fox, MacQueen's bustard, waterfowl, herpetofauna | 1973 |
| Gir Wildlife Sanctuary & National Parks | 1213.42 | Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli | Lion, leopard, chausinga, chital, hyena, sambar, chinkara, herpetofauna, crocodiles and birds | 1965 |
| Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary | 607.70 | Narmada | Sloth bear, leopard, rhesus macaque, chausinga, barking deer, pangolin, herpetofauna, birds including Alexandrian parakeet | 1982 |
| Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary | 542.08 | Banaskantha | Sloth bear, leopard, blue bull, hyena, wolf, wild cat, birds, herpetofauna | 1989 |
| Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary | 444.23 | Kutch | Chinkara, green day, desert cat, hyena, desert fox, jackal, birds, herpetofauna | 1981 |
| Marine Sanctuary | 295.03 | Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gulf of Kutch | Sponges, corals, jellyfish, sea horse, octopus, oyster, pearl oyster, starfish, dolphin, dugong, waterfowl | 1980 |
| Barda Wildlife Sanctuary | 192.31 | Porbandar | Leopard, blue bull, hyena, wild boar, jackal, birds, herpetofauna | 1979 |
| Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary | 180.66 | Banaskantha | Sloth bear, leopard, hyena, birds, herpetofauna | 1978 |
| Purna Wildlife Sanctuary | 160.84 | Dangs | Leopard, barking deer, macaques, four horned antelope, sambhar, hyena, herpetofauna, birds | 1990 |
| Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary | 130.38 | Panchmahal | Sloth bear, leopard, jungle cat, hyena, wolf, four horned antelope, herpetofauna, birds | 1990 |
| Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary | 120.82 | Ahmedabad, Surendranagar | Flamingos, pelicans, coot, ducks, waders, storks, herons and other waterfowl, herpetofauna | 1969 |
| Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary | 55.65 | Dahod | Sloth bear, leopard, hyena, jackal, chausinga, civet cat, jungle cat, birds, herpetofauna | 1982 |
| Pania Sanctuary | 39.63 | Amreli | Lion, chinkara, leopard, chital, hyena, wild boar, four horned antelope, pangolin, blue bull, birds | 1989 |
| Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary | 15.01 | Morbi | Blue bull, chinkara, wolf, fox, jackal, birds, herpetofauna | 1988 |
| Thol Lake Bird Sanctuary | 6.99 | Mehsana | Cranes, geese, flamingos, sarus and about 125 other waterfowl species | 1988 |
| Hingolgadh Sanctuary | 6.54 | Rajkot | Chinkara, blue bull, wolf, hyena, fox, birds, herpetofauna | 1980 |
| Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary | 6.05 | Jamnagar | Indian skimmer, ibises, painted stork, cormorants, etc. About 220 bird species, herpetofauna | 1981 |
| Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary | 3.33 | Devbhumi Dwarka district | Great Indian bustard, wolf, jackal, birds, herpetofauna | 1988 |
| Kutch Bustard Sanctuary | 2.03 | Kutch | Great Indian bustard, lesser florican, MacQueen's bustard, chinkara, blue bull, herpetofauna | 1992 |
| Porbandar Bird Sanctuary | 0.09 | Porbandar | Flamingos, pelicans, spoonbill and various bird spp. | 1988 |
| Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary | 18.22 | Amreli | Lion, Blue bull, Chittal, Chinkara, Panther | 2004 |
| Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary | 178.87 | Junagadh | Lion, leopard, chital, sambar and birds | 2008 |
| Name of protected area | Area km2 | District | Major wildlife supported | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kachchh Biosphere Reserve | 12454.00 | Kutch | Indian wild ass | 2008 |
| Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve | 227.00 | Kutch | Wetland birds | 2008 |
| Banni Grasslands Reserve | Kutch | Wetland birds, Houbara bustard, Chinkara, raptors like Tawny Eagle, Bonnelli's Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle and Steppe Eagle | ||
The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India.
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located 43 km (27 mi) north-east of Somnath, 65 km (40 mi) south-east of Junagadh and 60 km (37 mi) south-west of Amreli. It was established in 1965 in the erstwhile Nawab of Junagarh's private hunting area, with a total area of 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi), of which 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) is fully protected as a national park and 1,151.59 km2 (444.63 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
The Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests is a mostly arid ecoregion in northwestern India that stretches over 103,100 sq mi (267,000 km2) across Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The dry deciduous forests in the region are dominated by teak, and thorny trees and scrub in drier areas.
The Little Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh which is part of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, India.
National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi) tri-state protected area in northern India for the protection of the Critically Endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin. Located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it was first declared in Madhya Pradesh in 1978, and now constitutes a long narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states. Within the sanctuary, the pristine Chambal River cuts through mazes of ravines and hills with many sandy beaches.
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, consisting primarily of a 120.82-square-kilometre (46.65 sq mi) lake and ambient marshes, is situated about 64 km to the west of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. It was declared a bird sanctuary in April 1969.
Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary is situated in the Banaskantha district formerly under Palanpur State in the Indian state of Gujarat at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. It was declared as a sanctuary in May 1978, covering an area of about 180 square kilometres (69 sq mi), principally for protection of the sloth bear, which is now categorized as "Vulnerable A2cd+4cd;C1 ver 3.1" on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers are declining in the wild and they are threatened with extinction.
Porbandar Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary in the Porbandar District of Gujarat state, India, which was dedicated in 1988.
Vansda National Park, also known as Bansda National Park, is a protected area which represents the thick woodlands of the Dangs and southern Gujarat, and is situated in the Vansda tehsil, Navsari District of Gujarat state, India. Riding on the banks of Ambika River and measuring roughly 24 km2 in area, the park lies about 65 km east of the town of Chikhali on the National Highway 48, and about 80 km northeast of the city of Valsad. Vansda, the town from which the name of the park is derived, is an important trading place for the surrounding area where the majority of the population is represented by adivasis. Vansda-Waghai state highway runs through the park, so does the narrow gauge rail link connecting Waghai to Billimora.
The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an initiative of the Indian Government to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion from extinction in the wild by means of reintroduction. The last wild population of the Asiatic lion is found in the region of Gir Forest National Park, in the state of Gujarat. The single population faces the threats of epidemics, natural disasters and other anthropogenic factors. The project aims to establish a second independent population of Asiatic lions at the Kuno National Park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. However, the proposed translocation has been bitterly contested by the state government.
The Chari-Dhand wetland conservation reserve is located on the edge of arid Banni grasslands and the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat State in India. It is currently legally protected under the status as a Protected or Reserve Forest in India. Chari means salt affected and Dhand means shallow wetland, Dhand is a Sindhi word for a shallow saucer shaped depression. This is a seasonal desert wetland and only gets swampy during a good monsoon, receiving water from the north flowing rivers as well as from the huge catchment areas of many surrounding big hills. It is spread over an area of 80 km2. It is in Nakhtrana Taluka, 80 km south west to the city of Bhuj, about 7 or 8 km from Fulary village and 30 km from Nakhtrana town. It is home to nearly two lakh birds with migratory and endangered species of birds flocking into the area in thousands during monsoon and winters.
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 near Narayan Sarovar in the Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. 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 (WII) has identified it as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and a possible reintroduction site for the species. The most sighted animal here is the chinkara, which is currently the flagship species of the sanctuary.
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary or Kachchh Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, also known as Lala–Parjan Sanctuary, is located near Jakhau village in Taluka Abdasa, Gujarat, India. This sanctuary is one of the two great Indian bustard sanctuaries in Gujarat; the other one is in Jamnagar. It was declared as a sanctuary in July 1992, specifically for the conservation of the great Indian bustard, the heaviest flying bird belonging to the avian family of Otididae. However, the sanctuary presently legally covers a protected area of about 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) of area (202.86 hectares of fenced land only and is the smallest sanctuary in the country. Several suggestions have been made to vastly increase the size of this sanctuary as it is a breeding ground of the endangered great Indian bustard. The reason is that its ecological zone is much larger on account of anthropogenic and cattle population pressure that are considered as a ‘biotic threat’ to this omnivorous species.
Thol Lake is an artificial lake near Thol village in Kadi in Mehsana District in the Indian state of Gujarat. A fresh water lake surrounded by marshes, it was built as an irrigation tank in 1912. Declared the Thol Bird Sanctuary in 1988, it is a habitat to 150 species of birds, about 60% of them waterbirds. Many migratory birds nest and breed in the lake and its periphery. The two most prominent species of birds recorded in the sanctuary are flamingoes and sarus crane. The sanctuary is also proposed to be declared an Eco-Sensitive Zone, conforming to the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, for which draft notification has been prepared.
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary located in Jamnagar district of Gujarat, India. About 300 species of migratory birds have been recorded here.
Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in India's Gujarat state, located in the western Satpura Range south of the Narmada River and is 607.7 km2 (234.6 sq mi) large. It shares a common boundary with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It encompasses mixed dry deciduous forest, riverine forest, few pockets of moist teak forest, agricultural fields and two water reservoirs. It was established in 1982.
Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in Kalyanpur taluka, Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat, India. Established in November 1988, it is 332.87 hectares in size and is situated in the Saurashtra peninsula on the coast of the Gulf of Kutch. The flora consists of grassland, saline scrub, Prosopis chilensis, kerdo, gorad, and piloo. There are several important animal species, such as nilgai, golden jackal, jungle cat, mongoose, and Indian wolf; and avifauna, such as flamingoes, great Indian bustard, lark, partridge, and sand grouse.
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Gujarat, India. It is situated approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Porbandar and 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Gir Forest National Park. Previous to its 1979 establishment as a wildlife sanctuary, Barda was a private reserve for Porbandar and Jamnagar. Approximately 4,00,000 people live in Barda.
Blue Bird Lake, Hisar is a resident and endangered migratory bird wetland habitat, lake and recreation area in the town of Hisar, in the Hisar district of Haryana State, India.
Purna Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats mountain range, in the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra, India. In the South Gujarat, it is located between Vyara, Tapi District and Ahwa, Dang District, and in Maharashtra, it is located in Nandurbar District. Apart from the Dangs' District, it is a part of the Northern Division of the Dangs' Forest.
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| Regions of Gujarat | ||
| Districts | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Ecoregions | ||
| Economy | ||
