Fauna of Gir National Park
According to official census figures, Gir has about 300 lions and 300 leopards, making it one of the major big-cat concentrations in India. Sambar and spotted deer (chital), blue bull (nilgai), chousingha (the world's only four-horned antelope), chinkara (Indian gazelle) and wild boar thrive in Gir. Jackal, striped hyena, jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, langur, porcupine, black-naped Indian hare are among the other mammals of Gir.
Gir has a large population of marsh crocodile or mugger, which is among the 40 species of reptiles and amphibians recorded in the sanctuary.
The park checklist has 250 birds and about 50 other species (including the endangered lesser florican and the saras crane) are recorded in the grasslands along the perifery of the sanctuary. Many species like the painted sandgrouse, grey francolin, quails, Asian paradise flycatcher, black-naped monarch, white-browed fantail, Asian brown flycatcher, grey-headed flycatcher, verditer flycatcher, tickell's blue flycatcher, greenish warbler, white-eye, coppersmith barbet, common and marshal's iora, rufous treepie, yellow-footed green pigeon have been spotted by our guests around the lodge itself. Long-billed vulture, Indian white-backed vulture, red-headed (king) vulture, Eurasian griffon vulture, changeable hawk-eagle, crested serpent eagle, bonneli's eagle, greater spotted eagle, lesser spotted eagle, tawny eagle, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, laggar falcon, red-headed falcon, oriental honey-buzzard, white-eyed buzzard and other raptors have been seen in the sanctuary. Gir also has brown fish owl, Eurasian eagle owl, spotted owlet. In the evening, nightjars can be seen near the lodge gate. Wetlands like Kamleshwar Dam are good for waterfowl, with Indian skimmer, spot-billed and dalmatian pelicans, etc possible.
The lodge can also be used as the base to visit the coastal areas from Veraval to Diu Bird Sanctuary for shore birds.
How to reach there :
FROM OVERSEAS:
Ahmedabad International Airport is about 390 km from Gir and the drive takes about seven to eight hours depending on the number of stops en route. At the time of writing, Ahmedabad receives flights from USA, UK and Singapore.
FROM DELHI:
By Air : The nearest airport with connectivity to Delhi is Ahmedabad about 390 km from the park and the drive takes about seven to eight hours depending on the number of stops en route.
By Train: There are trains to Rajkot and then the drive of about 164 km takes three to four hours.
FROM MUMBAI:
Mumbai has direct flights to Diu Airport, about 112 km from the lodge, and both flights and trains to Rajkot, 164 km from the lodge.
FROM AHMEDABAD:
There are trains to Junagadh, 60 km from Gir, or Veraval, 40 km from Gir, and the drive takes about one hour from either. There are also trains and buses to Sasan, near the lodge, from Junagadh / Veraval. |
