 Sasan Gir National Park &
Lion Sanctuary is the last home of the Asiatic Lion. Spread over an area of 1412 square
kilometers near Junagadh district in Gujarat, Sasan Gir is a dry deciduous habitat for the
lions, dominated by short and gnarled teak trees , thorn bushes and grassland.
Gir has a strange beauty in its harshness. I
visited Gir at the onset of the hot and dry Indian summer in early May. Most of the
vegetation had turned a golden yellow mixed with shades of brown. In this bleak and
dusty landscape one came across a few green oasis's around the many rivers that run run
through Gir. The starkness of the contrast is truly a Gir experience.
While Sasan is rightfully best known as the home of
the lion, it is by no means the only inhabitant of the forest. Gir's bio-diversity rivals
any National Park in India and supports over 450 plant species, 32 mammals, 310 birds, 24
reptiles and over 2,000 insects.
If it was not for the lions, Gir would be known as
the place to see Leopards, Spotted Deer (Chital), Peafowl and raptors. To sight 2
leopards, in broad daylight, in a matter of 2 days is a rarity in any Indian jungle but
not uncommon in Gir. And Gir has over 30,000 Chitals which is an average of 20 animals per
sq./km !!
Other mammals a visitor will normally encounter in
the forest are Nilgai, Sambar, Chousinga, Wild Boar, Ruddy Mongoose, Langurs,
Jungle cats, Striped Hyenas, Indian Porcupine ( I saw a quill), Chinkara and
domestic cattle owned by the Maldharis, a unique clan of graziers who live
cheek by jowl with the lions together with their famous Gir cattle and buffaloes.
The avian species is well represented and I came
across the following : Spoonbill, White Ibis, Black Ibis, Paradise Flycatcher, Honey
Buzzard, Redheaded Merlin, Bonelli's Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpant Eagle, Painted
Sandgrouse, Blossomheaded Parakeet, Spotted dove, Spotted Owlet, a variety of Flycatchers
, and of course the more common Indian birds
How to reach: Sasan is 100kms from Diu , 160 kms
from Porbander and 160kms from Rajkot. All three points are connected by air. An ideal
connection from Mumbai ( the nearest metropolis) is Mumbai - Diu by air, Diu to Sasan by
road ( 2 hours), Sasan to Porbander by road( 2 1/2 hours) and Porbander to Mumbai by air.
Keshod is the closest airfield (70 kms) but is currently closed. Train and bus services
are also available and Junagadh and Veraval are the usual start points.The roads in
Gujarat are average and average driving speed is 50 kms/hour for most parts.
Where to stay: The Gir Lodge run by the Taj
Group ( Tel: Sasan Gir: 91-02871-85501/04 or Fax: 91-85528 ) is inside the forest and
provides superior accomodation. The Lodge will normally arrange for your trips into the
forest ( open 4 wheel drives) and local trips including Devaliya, a Nature Iinterpretation
Centre 12 kms from Sasan. Devaliya is 16 square kms of Gir enclosed by wire netting,
trapping inside it a pride of lions and a large number of ungulates.Worth a visit if you
do not catch the king in the open forest.
Alternative budget accomodation is provided by the Forest
Department which runs the Sinh Sadan Guest House, which has large rooms amidst well-kept
gardens. But book ahead.
For bookings call:
Conservator of Forests,
Sasan Gir,
Dist Junagadh.
Tel: 91-(02877) 85540.
Park Timings: 6am to 9am and 4 pm to 7 pm in
summer.
Tips :
> The Park has 4 trails
x 2. Some are very short 25kms. Go for the long trips which cover 40+ kms.
> The Guides are the key
to lion spotting. Some are good, others awful. Ask the hotel for names of better ones.
> Lions are difficult to
see unless you are lucky or you have superior help. Don't expect a sighting as routine.
> The light is
reasonable in summer for ISO 100/200 films.
> A 300mm f4 lens
is generally adequate for the mammals, who are not shy.
> The Park is amongst
the best maintained and controlled in India with acceptable infrastructure.
> Gir is extremely dusty
in summer (March to May). |
