Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
 Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, one of the most spectacular bird
sanctuaries in India, nesting indigenous water- birds
as well as migratory water birds and water side birds.
It is also inhabited by sambar, chital, nilgai and boar.
More than 300 species of birds are found in this small
park of 29 sq. km. of which 11 sq. km. are marshes and
the rest scrubland and grassland. While many of India's
parks have been developed from the hunting preserves
of princely India, Keoladeo Ghana is perhaps the only
case where the habitat has been created by a Maharaja.
In earlier times, Bharatpur town used to be flooded
regularly every monsoon. In 1760, an earthern dam (Ajan
Dam) was constructed, to save the town, from this annual
vagary of nature. The depression created by extraction
of soil for the dam was cleared and this became the
Keoladeo lake. At the beginning of this century, this
lake was developed, and was pided into several portions.
A system of small dams, dykes, sluice gates, etc., was
created to control water level in different sections.
This became the hunting preserve of the Bharatpur royalty,
and one of the best duck - shooting wetlands in the
world. Hunting was prohibited by mid-60s. The area was
declared a national park on 10 March 1982, and accepted
as a World Heritage Site in December 1985.
Over 350 species of birds find a refuge in the 29 sq
km of shallow lakes and woodland, which makes up the
park. A third of them are migrants, many of whom spend
their winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their
breeding grounds, as far away as Siberia and Central
Asia. Migratory birds at Keoladeo include, as large
a bird as Dalmatian pelican, which is slightly less
than two meters, and as small a bird as Siberian disky
leaf warbler, which is the size of a finger. Other migrants
include several species of cranes, pelicans, geese,
ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, warblers,
wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, larks and pipits,
etc. But of all the migrants, the most sought after
is the Siberian Crane or the great white crane, which
migrates to this site every year, covering a distance
of more than half the globe. These birds, numbering
only a few hundred, are on the verge of extinction...
Ranthambhore National Park
 Near
the township of Sawai Madhopur, in the state of Rajasthan,
Ranthambore National Park is an outstanding example
of Project Tiger's efforts at conservationin the country.
The forests around the Ranthambore Fort were once, the
private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur.
The desire to preserve the game in these forests for
sport, was responsible for their conservation, and subsequent
rescue by Project Tiger. The Park sprawls over an estimated
area of 400 sq kms. Steep crags embracea network of
lakes and rivers, and a top one of these hills, is the
impressive Ranthambore Fort, built in the 10th century.
The terrain fluctuates between impregnable forests
and open bushland. The forest is the typically dry deciduous
type, with dhok, being the most prominent tree. The
entry point to the Park, goes straight to the foot of
the fort and the forest rest house, Jogi Mahal. The
latter boasts of the second-largest banyan tree in India.
The Padam Talab, the Raj Bagh Talab and the Milak Talab
are some of the lakes in the area, that attract the
tiger population . They have been spotted at the edges
of these lakes, and Jogi Mahal itself. Old crumbling
walls, ruined pavilions, wells, and other ancient structures
stand witness to the region's glorious past. The entire
forest is peppered with the battlements and spillovers
of the Ranthambore Fort - tigers are said to frequent
these ruins, too. As a result of stringent efforts in
conservation, tigers, the prime assets of the Park,
have become more and more active during the day. More
than in any other park or sanctuary in India, tigers
are easily spotted here in daylight.
Desert National Park
 The
Desert National Park is an excellent example of the
ecosystem of the Thar desert and its perse fauna.
Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform
consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms,
intermedial areas and fixed dunes which are quite suitable
for the chinkara to move at high speed. The blackbuck
is another common antelope of this region. Its other
notable inhabitants are the desert fox, Bengal fox,
wolf and desert cat.Sudashri forest post is the ideal
place for observing the wildlife of Desert National
Park and is the most suitable in the entire 3162 sq.
kms. of this park for watching and photographing the
activities of the animals from behind cover.
Birdlife in this sandy habitat is vivid and spectacular.
Birds such as the sandgrouse, partridges, bee-eaters,
larks and shrikes are commonly seen. Demoiselle crane
and houbara arrive in the winter. The birds of prey
seen here are tawny and steppe eagles, long legged and
honey buzzards, falcons and kestrels. But the most outstanding
of the avifauna is the great Indian bustard. This tall,
heavy bird is an epitome of confidence and grace. It
is good to see five or six bustards near Sudashri water
hole.
This park is also very rich in reptiles. Spiny tail
lizard, monitor lizard, saw sealed viper, Russel's viper,
Sind krait, toad agama and sandfish are found in large
numbers.18 kms. from Jaisalmer is the Akal Wood Fossils
Park which is about 180 million years of age. Sea shells
and massive fossilised tree trunks in this park record
the geological history of the desert.
Sariska National Park
 Sariska
became a sanctuary in the year 1958. The sanctuary came
under the project Tiger in 1979 and became a national
park in 1982. It is located at Kankwari fort, near Alwar,
on the Delhi Jaipur Highway. The terrain is predominantly
hilly, as it lies in the Aravalli range. It has total
area of 788 sq. kilometres, with a core area of approx.
47sq. kilometres. At last count in 1985, there 35 tigers
were reported. Other carnivores of the area are the
panthe, jungle cat, jackal and hyena. Three caracals
were also reported during the last census in 1985. Other
animals include the sambhar, chital, wild boar, hare,
nilgai and umpteen porcupines. The birdlife comprises
of the pea fowl, gray partridge, quail, sandgrouse,
tree pie, white breasted kingfisher, golden woodpecker
and great Indian horned owl.
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