The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the eco-system of the Thar Desert and its rich fauna. The Sudashri forest post is the most ideal place for observing wildlife in the Desert National Park. Sand dunes form less than 20 per cent of the park, which consists of craggy rocks, pavements and compact salt lake bottoms, inter-medial areas and fixed dunes.
Its inhabitants include the blackbuck, chinkara, wolf, Indian fox, desert fox, hare and desert cat. Flights of sand-grouse start coming to waterholes from sunrise onwards. One can also hear the morning call of the grey partridge. Blue tailed and green bee-eaters, common and bush quail and Indian rollers are birds, which are commonly found around waterholes. The park is also home to the great Indian bustard – the state bird of Rajasthan.
History
The Thar Desert’s vast stretches of sand are interspersed by hillocks, rocky areas and sandy and gravel plains. It is spread across 200,000 sq.km, of which more than 60 percent of the desert lies in Rajasthan alone, while the rest extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.
In 1980, a portion of it was declared the Desert National Park, which is spectacularly representative of this desert ecosystem. The highlight here is the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, which has been extirpated from 90 percent of its former range.
There are approximately 73 villages and also settlements or Dhanis existing within the Park. Of these villages, Sudasari is the prime location for Great Indian Bustards.
Apart from the GIB, this seemingly inhospitable ecosystem hosts a variety of bird species, both migratory and resident. Chinkaras run loose on sand dunes, Desert and Indian Foxes bask in the morning sun and Desert Cats make bold appearances out of their burrows during the day.