Gir Wildlife Sanctuary

The Gir National Park also has a healthy population of other animal species too. The park offers many excellent drives through scenic areas. In 1966, 600 square kilometers were initially demarcated as the Gir forest area, which was later increased to 1150 square kilometers. The park with it’s core area of approximately 300 square kilometers was officially declared a national park in 1975.

The Flora : The Gir National Park is mainly occupied by deciduous forest where the various varieties of trees are teak, flame of the forest, Acacia and Banyan trees. There is peculiar kind of vegetation along the main rivers and streams where species like the Jambu, Karanj, Umro, Vad, Kalam, Charal, Sirus and Amli are found. The main features of the trees are that they have broad leaves and are evergreen, giving the area a cool shade and moisture content to the environment.

The Fauna : Gir wildlife sanctuary consists of a large population of Lions and the second most common predator found in the forests of Gir is Leopard. According to the surveys conducted amongst all the sanctuaries it has been found that, Gir national park houses one of the largest population of Leopards in the country. There are other animals also found in the Gir national park such as Sambar Deer, Chital Spotted Deer, Nilgai Antelope, Chowsingha Four-Horned Antelope, Chinkara Gazelle, Wild Boar, Langur Monkey, Jackal, and Hyena.

The Avifauna : The various birds found in gir are Paradise Flycatcher, Bonneli’s Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Woodpeckers Flamingo etc.

Jeep safari : The two commonly found predators in the sanctuary can be easily spotted at dawn or dusk when they are on their prowl and the best way to view the wild animals in the sanctuary is by driving via jeep around the forest.