Some of the rarest species of
animals and birds in the numerous wild-life
sanctuaries and national parks of Rajasthan
ironically owe their existence to the hunting
pleasures of the erstwhile maharajas, who carefully
nurtured forests to ensure supply of regular sport.
Their great duck shoots and
tiger hunts were major events on the sporting
calendar of old Imperial India, and British generals
used to vie for invitations.
This wall
panel in
Dungarpur speaks volumes
of the erstwhile rulers'
fondness for
hunting.
Click to enlarge.
Rare Birds
Every winter, one of the
world's rarest and nearly-extinct birds,
The Siberian Crane
migrates to the marshlands of the
Keoladeo
Ghana Sanctuary in Bharatpur - flying an
incredible 3,900 miles in its two month journey.
Arguably the world's most
outstanding heronry, the Keoladeo Park houses nearly
400 varieties of birds including painted storks,
spoonbills, cormorants, egrets, herons, sarus
cranes, porchards, ibis and kingfishers.
Various other lakes and ponds
spread over the state also offer a delightful
opportunity to bird lovers. Flocks of
Flamingos near
the salt-water lake of Sambhar and the
Demoiselle Cranes
in Kheechan and Churu make a pretty picture.
