Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park

Location
Travel to Bhavnagar, Gujarat, and it is about 42 kilometres distant in the grasslands leading to the Gulf of Khambhat to the south. The Park covers around 34 square kilometres and is located in a semi-arid geographical zone. The park is situated between the Parvalia and Alang Rivers, and the letter forms part of its southern boundary.

History
Velavadar Blackbuck National Park was previously the private pleasure of Maharaja of Bhavnagar, where he would be the victim of Blackbucks with his famed victim cheetah. Today, Blackbuck is in great danger and hence is not huntable, but this Sanctuary provides a tiny stretch of secure territory for the Blackbuck population. It was created in 1976 and nearly doubled in size in 1980; the park is presently 34 square kilometres in area, or one-sixth the size of Ahmedabad.

An active Chinois broom covers an additional 5 square kilometres of salty land and high Tidal composition in this already tiny region, and only 10 square kilometres of saline land and high Tidal composition is formed of. These irritants are high tide sections of the Gulf of Cambay, and the park’s lower section (not simply the tidal area) frequently floods. During the monsoon, the gorgeous golden region turns a rich shade of green. Floods are not abnormal (and are not problematic because they are a natural part of the ecosystem cycle). Dry, on the other hand, is more of an issue; park maintenance frequently needs to bring water tankers from someplace else to keep the water hole open. On this time, the hurricane also destroyed the park, as it did in 1982, when 311 blackbucks were killed in the storm.

The blackbuck for which the park was constructed in the grasslands on the northern coasts. Blackbuck, which is now exclusively found in South Asia, used to reside all throughout India, and some can still be found outside of Gujarat. The conservation of blackbuck here has been a huge success; yet, owing to its reliance on such a small region, it remains endangered, although the local population has grown from 200 in 1966 to over 3400 now. The breeding season is between October and February.

Extremely rare little Florican, is one of the 50 uncommon birds in the world, here breeds. If you’re lucky, you could get to see an example of its speciality, in which males jump out of the grass to wow the guy. Thousands of heaters arrive from Central Europe in the winter to spend months here in cranes; you can see them arriving from surrounding cotton plantations in the twilight. The Harvey of Montague, in particular, is a prominent predator of grasshoppers, which is a severe problem for fields throughout all areas; as a secure haven for insect-controlled weaponry, Park plays an essential role in local husbandry.

Origins
The region today known as Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar was previously held by the Maharaja of Bhavnagar. This was his hunting territory. However, under his reign, blackbucks were only hunted at certain times of the year, and the rest of the time they were protected by the local community. After independence and the end of the Maharajas’ authority, blackbucks were hunted indiscriminately, and their numbers fell. The government designated a tiny portion of the grassland as a refuge in 1976. The area was expanded to encompass around 34 square kilometres of grassland in 1980. The term “responsibility” refers to the act of determining whether or not a person is responsible for his or her own actions. The blackbucks live in the northern half of the park, which is largely grassland and agricultural fields.

Blackbuck National Park’s Flora and Fauna

The blackbuck is probably the headline attraction of the Velavadar sanctuary. There are also additional animals. Packs of wolves frequent the southern part. In addition, nilgai, wild boar, striped hyenas, foxes, jackals, jungle cats, gerbils, mice, hedgehogs, pigs, rats, snakes, and mongoose can be found. Krait, rat snake, common coba, and saw scaled vipers may be found at the Blackbuck refuge. There is also an abundance of birds such as larks, sparrows, bushlark, francolins, wheatear, Sandgrouse, sarus crane, falcons, kestrels, eagles, storks, cranes and migrating birds in winter.

Half of the park is grassland. There is an invasion of wild acacia, also known as prosopis chilensis. The environment is studded with native trees such as kalam, charal, umro, banyan, karanj, tamarind and others. There are broad open expanses for jeeps to pass through, as well as sparsely forested areas, marshes to the south, and desert parts to the north, forming a varied environment. The southern part is more interesting to birders, while the northern portions are more interesting to people who come to observe the blackbucks.

Velavadar is home to around 140 bird species, 14 animal species, and 95 blooming plant species, making it ideal for nature enthusiasts. The sanctuary also houses the Takhteshwar temple, which was established by the former royal family and is devoted to Lord Shiva.