Discovering top wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan

Rajasthan, besides being a cultural cauldron, is also home to some of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the country. The sanctuaries in Rajasthan are unique, and display the natural diversity of the desert. For bird-lovers, there’s Bharatpur National Park; tiger enthusiasts can visit the famous Ranthambore National Park, and so on.

Here are our top five picks for the lovers of wild in Rajasthan.

Nestled in the Aravali Hills, Sariska National Park is huge! The park is marked by dry deciduous forests, cliffs and rocky landscape. This is another tiger reserve in the region, and it once served as the hunting grounds for the Maharaja of Alwar. The reserve is known for being home to the Royal Bengal Tigers.

This one needs no introduction as Ranthambore is one of the country’s top tiger reserves. The place is known for its ‘friendly’ tigers and most visitors do end up sighting one or two tigers here. Besides tigers, the bird life here is also quite diverse.

Spread over 578 sq km of area, this beautiful wildlife sanctuary stretches across the Aravalli ranges and encompasses the grand Kumbhalgarh Fort. One can easily spot wolves, leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, jungle cats, sambhars and nilgai here. The bird population here is also quite impressive and one can spot grey pigeons, bulbuls, golden orioles and doves inside the forest.

The Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) is home to migratory birds. It is one of the best tourist attractions in Rajasthan and attracts ornithologists from all over the globe. The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1971.

The Desert National Park in Jaisalmer is one of the prime national parks in Rajasthan. Spread over an area of 3162 sq km, it is counted among the largest national parks in India. What makes it unique is the fact that this park is 20 per cent (nearly) sand dunes, which makes it a perfect example of the desert ecosystem.