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.
