Introduction
Spanning an area of about 3,42,000 sq km, located in north-west India, Rajasthan
is among the largest of the country’s states and is remarkably rich in wildlife,
its vast size and latitudinal variations (sea level to over 1,700 m) have
provided it with varied vegetation- from the semi-evergreen forests of Mt Abu to
the almost barren or dry scrub grasslands of the desert and from the dry
deciduous thorn forests of the Aravalli hills to the wet marshes of Bharatpur.
The climate of the state may be described as tropical monsoon, but
varies considerably from area to area, its extremes of temperature ranging from
frost cold winters to scorching hot, dry summers. The average annual rainfall
varies from 100-1,500 mm.
Geographically, Rajasthan can be divided into four regions, each
distinctive—the desert in the north and west, the Aravalli hills in the middle,
the alluvial Indo-Gangetic plains in the east, and the Vindhyan hills and the
Deccan trap in the south and south-eastern parts of the state-with ecosystems
that support a variety of wildlife. Till a hundred years ago the Asiatic lion,
now confined to the Gir forests of Gujarat, and the cheetah, now extinct in
India, were found in many parts of the state. Sightings of herds of over a
thousand antelopes was not unusual. The range and number of these antelopes has
declined with the increase in human population and the ploughing of marginal
lands-yet, large herds can still be spotted in the state’s non-forest areas.
Tigers and their prey animals, deer and wild bqar, are essentially forest
animals and are, therefore, confined to the Aravalli and Vindhyan hills. Two
protected regions have been included under Project Tiger. Although the tiger is
an elusive animal, yet the chances of seeing one in the dry deciduous forests of
Rajasthan is better than in most other tiger reserves.
The leopard, also called panther in India, an
adaptable animal, is usually found in the forest areas as well as in the open,
degraded forest areas with rocky outcrops adjoining towns and villages. The
cunning predator finds it easy to prey on unguarded village dogs, goats,
donkeys, calves and poultry.
Besides the two big cats, five lesser
cats-caracal, jungle cat, fishing cat, desert cat and rusty spotted cat-inhabit
the state. The caracal, found in both the forest and the desert, is a graceful
feline with a sandy coloration and black tufted ears. Once trained for hunting
doves, pigeons, partridges and other birds by the cheetah-trainers of Jaipur,
this agile hunter has now become rate, occasionally sighted in Ranthambhore and
Sariska. There have been recent reports of sightings of the rusty spotted cat
for the first time in Sariska. It is possible that it is also present in other,
similar areas though no such reports are available. The jungle cat is common in
most protected areas as well as in the wastelands. The distribution of the
desert cat is confined to the arid parts of the state, whereas the best place to
spot a fishing cat is the Keoladeo Ghana national park, Bharatpur.
The Rbesus macaque and common
langur are found throughout Rajasthan with the exception o the arid Thar
desert. Monkeys are unharmed by people because of religious sentiments,
resulting in their bold behaviour, especially near towns and villages where they
snatch food and offerings from unwary pilgrims. The langur feeds on wild
leaves and fruit. A wasteful feeder, it drops large quantities on the ground
where it is consumed by deer and wild boar which often move with the langur.
The langur sounds the alarm to announce the presence of large predators
like the tiger or leopard to warn their prey.
The state provides shelter to around
500 species of birds, some of which are rare and endangered. About 50 per cent
of these species are local and the balance migratory, mostly from eastern
Europe, northern Asia and Africa. It is easy to spot as many as 100 species of
birds in just a day in Bharatpur.
Te Sarus is a handsome crane and the tallest bird
in the world to fly. The state’s only resident crane, it is commonly found in
its eastern and southern parts. Sarus cranes usually live in pairs or small
family groups, but congregate in large groups in the summer months before the
onslaught of the monsoons. Even popular legend acknowledges that these birds
pair for life, the partner pining away on the death of one. They indulge in an
elaborate courtship dance and nest in shallow waters using a heap of grass and
reeds. Both partners incubate the eggs. Partners sometimes greet each other
while exchanging incubation duties at the nest and perform their courtship dance
accompanied with trumpeting.
The majesti great Indian bustard or godawan
is the state bird and is a protected species. Easily spotted in many areas
in the desert region, the Desert national park near Jaisalmer is a good area to
look for it and, during winter, for the migratory Hubara bustard. The lesser
florican too is becoming scare in Rajasthan, though a few birds can be spotted
during their breeding season (monsoon) in the fields near Nasirabad and
Kishangarh, in the district of Ajmer. Because peacocks are considered sacred by
Hindus, they are quite common in the forests, fields and villages of the state.
In the Kumbhalgarh and Mt Abu wildlife sanctuaries, the graceful grey jungle
fowl is to be found in its northern most limit o distribution in India.
The wetlands and waterbodies of Rajasthan provide
refuge to a large number of migratory and resident birds. These include ducks,
cranes, pelicans, storks, herons, jacanas, ibises and other aquatic birds. The
migratory birds are accomopanied by a number o predatory birds. The Siberian
crane is the rarest bird that comes to Bharatpur: its numbers have dwindled from
over 40 to a mere three birds in less than 20 years, probably because it is
hunted on its migration route over Pakistan and Afghanistan. Attempts to induct
captive-bred birds in the wild have not succeeded. Common cranes visit Rajasthan
in winter and can be observed at the Keoladeo national park. Demoiselle cranes
visit western Rajasthan in large numbers.
The hot, dry climate of Rajasthan, its vast sandy
areas, hilly tracts and numerous lakes, rivers and waterbodies provide diverse
habitat conditions suitable for a number of species of reptiles which include
crocodiles, snakes, lizards and turtles. Two species of crocodiles, the marsh
crocodile and the gharial inhabit the rivers. The gharial is a
fish-eating crocodile and does not attack humans. Once endangered, Rajasthan has
contributed substantially in saving the inoffensive gharial from
extinction, with most of its country-wide population hatched from eggs collected
from the state’s Chambal river.
Of a total of 30 species of snakes found here, 26
are non-poisonous. The four venomous snakes include the Indian cobra (Naja
naja), Indian krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell’s viper (Vipera
russelii) and Pud (Ecbis caeruleus). Unless provoked or stepped upon,
these snakes do not attack humans. The common rock python (Python molurus)
is the biggest snake found in Rajasthan. Although pythons can be found in a
number of wildlife sanctuaries, the best place to spot them during the winter
months is at the Keoladeo national park, Bharatpur.
Of the 26 species of lizards found in Rajasthan,
two are monitor lizards- the Varanus bengalensis widely spread throughout
the state, and the Varanus griseus which is confined to the western part
o the state. Sanda or the spiny tailed lizard lives only in the drier, western
region of the state. A shy vegetarian, it uses its spiny tail for defense
against enemies. Rajasthan has only one specie of land turtle, the star turtle (Geocbelone
elegans). Confined to the hilly tracts of the Aravallies, it is threatened
because of loss of habitat. The remaining 11 species are acuatic, found in the
perennial waterbodies of eastern and southern Rajasthan.
The Chambal sanctuary on the eastern boundary of
the state provides a suitable habitat for highly endangered, freshwater
or Gangetic dolphins, as well as for gharials, crocodiles and a number of
species of turtles.
The religious, cultural, social and historical
traditions of the people of the state have contributed a good deal to saving its
natural heritage. The ethics of conservation are a part of the state’s fabric,
nurtured by saints, philosophers and religious gurus. Te desert community
shards its scarce resources of food and water willingly with wild animals. Food
and water is provided for birds and animals in many parts of India. However,
there is no parallel to the feeding of Demoiselle cranes in Kheechan village
near Phalodi in Jodhpur district. During migration (September-March) thousands
of Demoiselle cranes arrive early in the morning and land in the village to be
fed by the villagers. Treated like guests and addressed as friends and
companions, they have found a place in the state’s folklore and folk songs.
Communities like those of the Bishnois provide
protection to all wild animals in their villages because of their religious
faith and belief. The blackbuck and abinkara are considered sacred and
aggressively protected. Large herds of these graceful antelopes roam freely in
the Bishnoi fields in the desert districts of the state. Even the powerful
maharajas of pre-independent India refrained from hunting on Bishnoi lands,
respecting the sentiments of these conservators. No hunter or poacher is likely
to attempt to hunt in these areas for fear of the wrath of the entire community.
Because of this, there are more wild animals to b found in the non-forest areas
than in the forest area.
The rulers of the erstwhile states contributed
substantially to the preservation of wildlife. Athough they themselves enjoyed
sbikar, at the same time they prevented others from the sport. Most of
the state’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks were once their exclusive
shooting reserves.