Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat

Spread over a massive 7,505.22 square kilometer area, the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is made up of wastelands, forest areas and territorial waters of the Arabian Sea. Declared as the largest wildlife sanctuary within the sub-continent in 1986, it borders Pakistan and the Wild Ass Sanctuary on the northwestern side. The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary includes vast stretches of sun-baked mud-flats which are buried under salt in several areas. Locally known as 'Bets' there are numerous patches of uplands and hilly islands which are spread all over the sanctuary. The shoreline of the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary along the Arabian Sea is largely composed of calcareous grit and oyster beds.

Wildlife

Home to some of the rare wild animals, a variety of snakes and rare species of birdlife, the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is an important breeding ground of the Greater Flamingo.

Major Wildlife Species: Hyenas, Jackals, Sambar, Chinkara, Nilgai (Bluebull), Wild Boar, Indian Hare, Pale Hedgehog, Small Indian Civet, Indian Porcupine, Indian Fox,

Major Reptiles: Venomous Snakes, Non-Venomous Snakes, Monitor Lizards, Star Tortoise

Major Bird Species: Stork, Crow, Spoonbill, Sparrow, Osprey, Black Vulture, White Backed , Vulture

Flamingo City

The saline wetlands of the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary dry-up by October-November each year. These areas turn into a vast saline desert where thousands of Greater Flamingoes regularly congregate and nest in this region. The centre of the world famous Flamingo City is located about 10 kilometers from the Nir outpost on the Kala Dungar Hill, which is a sight beyond compare during the breeding season.