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.
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