Call of the wild

Hadoti in Rajasthan is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, says Chandan Sen

The little known Hadoti region of Rajasthan is a wildlife paradise and an oasis in the desert state. The jungle, the vast stretches of forest, the sprawling golden rocks, the graceful Chambal and ravines in the area have created some of the most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries of the region. Kota, located along the eastern bank of the Chambal river, with its blend of nature, rich wildlife and splendid outdoors is a dreamland for wildlife enthusiasts.

The Ranthambore National Park is dotted with steep rocky hills

The well-known wildlife sanctuaries and parks in the area include the Mukundara National Park, the Shergarh Sanctuary (Baran), Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary (Bundi) and the National Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary, Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary (Bundi), Sorsan in Baran is the Great Indian Bustard protected area. The presence of the Chambal river and other tributaries make the area a relatively green belt in the otherwise arid and dry conditions around.

A variety of migratory birds like pelicans, pintail, gargeney, grey leg goose, bramhmani duck, painted stork, cranes etc can be sighted at Bardha Dam, Kishore Sagar (Kota), Alnia Dam (Kota), Ummed ganj (Kota), Sawan Bhadon and the Chambal and other small lakes. The famous Alexanderian parakeet or gagrony (Tota) of Jhalawar is a splendid creation of nature and the white-breasted or small blue kingfisher, hornbill, wild hen, red-watled lapwing, common painted snipe are omnipresent.

The area is home to a variety of animals including the panther, leopard, spotted deer, sambar and caracal

Darrah (now called Mukundara) is the third national park of its kind in the state after the well-known Keoladeo, near Bharatpur, and Ranthambhore in Sawai Madhopur (an extension of Hadoti). Once the hunting ground of Kota maharajas, it was established in 1955 and is spread over 266 sq km and declared a national park sometime back.

The flora includes dhok, bel, Arjun, laburnum and balanites. The green pigeon, tree pie, golden oriole and the paraside flycatcher are found here. The animals include the wolf, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar, caracal and other wild cats, and the leopard or panther. The panther is the top predator surviving in the region.

The Chambal river glides through the thickly wooded forest area adjacent to the dark and green hill ranges. The Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary is also an added attraction where the panther, wild boar and birds of prey can be easily sighted. It shares its boundary with Darrah and the Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary. The transition of animals can be seen on a moonlit night from a boat on the bosom of the grand Chambal. The Sorsan protected area is famous for the blackbuck (Krishna Mrigg), chinkara and the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan).

Home for a variety of animals in its 392 sq km area, one can spot the sambhar, cheetal, wild boar, leopard, sloth bear, jackal and hyena among others. Artificial lakes, dense forests and the Aravallis make this park interesting. The Ramgarh Sanctuary is a single, compact and large ecosystem in the zone. The forest falls under the subsidiary edaphic type of tropical dry deciduous forest. The principal species are dhokra and khair. Other species include babool, ber, salar, khirni etc.

The fauna includes panther, sloth bear, hyena, sambhar, cheetal, blue bull (Nilgai), porcupines etc. The Ramgarh Sanctuary is a corridor to the Ranthambore National Park. The Talwas lake and Kanak Sagar in Nainwa is a sojourn for many migratory birds. The lake has few sandalwood trees.

The landscape of the region makes it a special wildlife destination. The National Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary is extended up to Pachnada in Uttar Pradesh over 300 km. Ghariyal is found only in this part of the world. The marsh crocodile and the Indian ghariyal grow well in the area. Besides this the crocodile, the Gangetic river dolphins and avian diversities like the Indian skimmer, small Indian pratincole, black-bellied tern can be seen breeding along the sandy banks of the river. Species of vulture, storks, horned-owl, osprey, cormorants and dareter can be sighted here. The anicuts or pond-like structures teem with migratory birds in the winters.

Rich in history and legends, the tribal dominated Sawaimadhopur is the gateway to the Ranthambhore. The town is an aide memoire of the city’s royal past the numerous stories of encounter with the majestic tiger. Sprawling over an undulating terrain of Aravalli and Vindhyan ranges is the wilderness of Ranthambore National Park. A significant geological feature within the park is the Great Boundary Fault where the Vindhayas meet the Aravalli range. The Chambal river in the South and the Banas in the north form boundaries for the park. The park is dotted with steep rocky hills and the dominating architecture of Ranthambhore Fort (built in the 10th century) adds to its lovely landscape. A variety of birds, including owlets, langur, leopard, caracal, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, marsh crocodile, wild boar, bear and various species of deer are present.

The park has more than 300 varieties of birds. Commonly seen are the peafowls, parakeets, doves, stork, egrets etc. Migratory birds like greyleg goose, pintails, shelduck are specially visible during the winter.

The total zone comprising the Ranthambhore National Park, the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Kaila Devi Sanctuary is 1380 km. Out of this the Ranthambhore National Park covers 400 km with buffer area. The 90 per cent prey base (sambhar/ cheetal) lies in the area. The area is protected with no grazing and has been given plenty of water supplies. The scientific tourism zones are in the core areas which is the main habitat of the tiger. The tigers in the non-tourist area are shy and instinctively aggressive. To view wildlife in its natural cover and flavour, these sanctuaries offer a variable range of sightseeing options for the tourist.