Location |
Bhavnagar , District of Gujarat state |
Best time |
16 October to March |
Area |
34-sq-km |
Major Animals/Birds |
Blackbuck, Bluebull, Wolf, Jackal, Jungle cat, Fox etc. Important Birds- Lesser Florican, Houbara Bustard, White Stork (Ciconiide), Harriers, Sarus cranes (Gruidae) etc |
Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park is located in Bhavnagar , District of Gujarat state ,India. Area of Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park is 34-sq-km , best time to visit Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park is between 16 October to March.
The blackbuck is the lone surviving member of the genus Antelope. The males are distinguished by lengthy horns in the style of a corkscrew, black upper body covering fur with whites around the eyes, chin and for the underbelly. This antelope is only found in Nepal, Pakistan, and India, and the Velavadar Sanctuary is one of the greatest sites to see it in the wild. They browse on grass in groups and are active during the day. It is one of the few Hindu holy animals and is also known as Krishna Sara or Krishna Mrug. Males are normally heavier and greater in stature than females, measuring around 84 cm tall at the shoulders and approximately 120 cm in length, weighing approximately 40 kgs, whilst females are proportionately smaller, weighing approximately 33 kgs. Blackbucks can run at rates of up to 80 km/h if necessary, and it is a thrill to watch them lope through grassy terrain, like seen at Velavadar 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.
Safari Timings and Availability of Permits: There are 2 Safari timings as mentioned below & Forest department issue limited Permit for each time slots.
Season | Safari Timing | Reporting Time | |
---|---|---|---|
All Seasons (16 Oct to 15 June) Every year | 6:00 – 9:00 am | 5:30 am | |
3:00 – 6:00 pm | 2:30 pm |
Safari remains closed from 16th June to 15th Oct every year.
Blackbuck National Park is spread over 34 square kilometres, and divided into two parts:
A narrow road divides the park and visitors can enter both of these areas.
Major Attractions in & Around the Park
Takhteshwar Temple : Perched atop a small hillock, this all-marble temple in Bhavnagar is high enough to provide splendid views of the city and out onto the Gulf of Cambay.
Palitana And Shatrunjaya Hill: The hustling, dusty town of Palitana, 51 km southwest of Bhavnagar, has grown rapidly to serve the pilgrim trade around the Shatrunjaya Hill.
Khodiyar Mandir : The temple lies on the edge of the Tataniya Wali Lake and has a ropeway at the back that connects the base to a shrine on the top of a hill. Lapsi (broken wheat dessert) is the main prasad of the temple.
Rufous-tailed Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Ashy-crowned and Black-crowned Sparrow Lark, Indian Bushlark, Singing Bushlark, Crested Lark, Painted and Grey Francolin, Desert and Variable Wheatear, Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Painted Sandgrouse, Quails and Saras Crane, Laggar Falcon, Eurasian Hobby, Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Imperial Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Short-toed Eagle etc.
The reptiles to be found in the Blackbuck sanctuary are
Over 5,000 individuals of the endangered Indian blackbuck congregate in Velavadar’s large, open grasslands. Males are distinguished by their corkscrew horns, Females and adolescents are frequently hornless and sandy brown in colour. The park’s second main ungulate, or hoofed mammal, is the massive nilgai or bluebuck, which is less gregarious than the blackbuck but equally common. Other easily identified animals include wild boar, Indian grey mongoose, and blacknaped hare, Wild pigs, Rodents etc.the Indian grey wolf and the mostly nocturnal striped hyena. In addition to wolves, the Indian fox and golden jackal are highly represented. Velavadar’s lone feline predator is the jungle cat, despite the fact that it was originally home to the now-extinct Asiatic cheetah.