Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Coordinates: 23°55′N 70°26′E / 23.91°N 70.44°E / 23.91; 70.44
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the desert sanctuary in Gujarat, India. For its counterpart in Pakistan, see Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary.
Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
LocationGujarat, India
Coordinates23°55′N 70°26′E / 23.91°N 70.44°E / 23.91; 70.44
Area7506.22 km2

The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the

Wildlife Sanctuary in India regarding its size.[1]

It is one of the largest seasonal saline wetlands having an average water depth between 0.5 and 1.5 metres. By October–November each year, rain water dries up and the entire area turns into saline desert. The sanctuary supports a wide variety of water birds and mammalian wildlife.

Flamingo City

It encloses a true saline desert where thousands of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) nest in the world-famous ‘Flamingo City’ located in the mud flats of the Rann, about 10 km from Nir outpost on the Kala Dungar hill, where flamingoes used to congregate during their breeding season in the past.

As per a television series, National Security by Rajya Sabha TV, the flamingo city is now a dead patch of land and flamingos do not come to breed here any longer.[2]

Indo-Pak International border

The northern boundary of this sanctuary forms the

international border between India and Pakistan and is heavily patrolled by the Border Security Force in India with much of this sanctuary being closed to civilians after crossing the India Bridge at Kala dungar (Black hill), Khavda
. Tourists and researchers can only enter here with special permission from the BSF.

Snow white Rann

In the area controlled and patrolled by the Border Security Force (BSF) after crossing the "India Bridge", several hundred square kilometers of Rann appear like pure white snow with heavy deposits of salt crystals. The marshy Rann here becomes white and flat as far as the eye can see, after the rain water has dried up during winter.

Excavated city of Dholavira from the Harappan civilization

Buried nearby to the breeding field of the flamingoes, is the ancient excavated city of

Harappan civilization
, attracting archeologists from all over the world.

Ancient fossil beds

This sanctuary has some other ancient attractions as well. Embedded in the

ammonites
and such others.

In popular culture

NCERT in India.[4]

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserves of Kutch

From the city of

Kachchh district can be visited such as Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Banni Grasslands Reserve and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve etc. Across the border in Pakistan, the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary
preserves 566,375 hectares.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wildlife Sanctuaries". Wiienvis.nic.in. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  2. ^ "National Security: BSF in Mysterious Rann of Kutch". Rajya Sabha TV. RAjya Sabha TV. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  3. ^ LOVE ACROSS THE SALT DESERT Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine; by Keki N. Daruwalla. Pdf of full story posted at Boston University at [1] Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. Bollywood connection - J. P. Dutta's "Refugee" is said to be inspired by this story Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine; learnhub, University of Dundee
  4. NCERT. Also posted at [2] / [3], "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link
    )
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