Located within the thick wooded forests of the Dangs in the Navsari District of southern Gujarat, Vansda National Park is 80 kilometers to the northeast of the city of Valsad. This excellent 24 square kilometer park area is sprawled on the banks of Ambika River to the east of Chikhali Town on the National Highway NH-8. Vansda Town is an important trading place within this region, comprising of a predominantly adivasi population. The Vansda-Waghai State Highway and the narrow-gauge Ahwa-Billimora rail link cut across this deciduous forest land which was eventually established as a National Park in 1979.
Fauna
MAMMALS recorded within the Vansda National Park include leopard, hyena, chital, jungle cat, civets, mongoose, macaques, wild boar, barking deer, langur, porcupine, flying squirrel, flying fox and pangolin.
Vansda is also home to 121 species of spiders, 11 types of frogs and over 30 varieties of snakes. Some of the venomous snakes found within the park include cobras, Russel’s viper, and kraits.
An exquisite destination for BIRD WATCHING, Vansda is home to over 115 avian species including the racket-tailed drongo, paradise flycatcher, pompadour pigeon, grey hornbill, jungle babbler, yellow-back sunbird, leaf birds, thrushes, pea-fowls and the globally threatened forest spotted-owlet.
Park Tips
- Post-monsoons to the end of winter season, while the landscape is lush and the streams full of water, is the best time to visit the Vansda National Park.
- Look out for tracks and droppings as you’d be seeing more of birds and plant-life than wild animals; remember to bring along binoculars and a good camera if you'd like to photograph.
- Ahwa, Saputara and Waghai serve as good base-camps, depending upon your moods and tastes.
