Known to the world as the home of the Asiatic Lions, Gir National Park is a popular wildlife reserve in Sasan Gir, Gujarat. Witnessing the variety of fauna in Gir Forest National Park forms a major part of the safari experience in Gujarat. In fact, the park’s abundance of flora, fauna, and avifauna allures many travelers from India and abroad. Sprawling over an area of 1,412 square kilometers, Gir National Park is one of India’s most attractive national parks.
If you are a wildlife enthusiast, visiting Gir National Park is a must. The fauna in Gir National Park is numerous and diverse. Gir provides shelter to a large number of fauna and avifauna species. The park is home to many species of lions and leopards, making it one of the major big-cat hubs in India. Gir National Park is the last and only home of the gravely endangered Asiatic Lions. Also, the large water bodies at the park, like the Kamleshwar Dam, is home to many crocodiles and birds.
Here’s a detailed description of the Fauna in Gir National Park.
There are roughly 2,375 fauna species, out of which there are 38 species of mammals, 37 species of reptiles, 2,000 species of insects, and 300 species of avifauna.
Mammals
Asiatic Lions, Indian Cobras, hyenas, and Indian leopards form the prime attractions of the park. Other than this, you may also spot rarely seen species like Indian mongoose, Indian palm civets, ratels, desert cats, golden jackals, jungle cats, sambar, chital, four-horned antelope, chinkara, wild boar, blackbucks, porcupine, and pangolin. If you look at the park’s history, it was established to preserve the sole habitat of the Asiatic lions, a smaller, more compact subspecies of its African cousin with a distinctive stomach fold. Along with that, felines such as jungle cats, desert cats, and rusty spotted cats, plus a healthy population of leopards are present in the park.
Reptiles
Gir National Park has a wide variety of reptile species. The ones that can be spotted at Gir are Monitor lizard, Marsh Crocodile, Hare Tortoise, Flap Shell Turtle, Indian Star Tortoise, Indian Wall Lizard, Common Garden Lizard, Fan Throated Lizard, Indian Chameleon, Common Keeled Skink, Snake Skink, Common Monitor Lizard, Common Sand Boa, and Red Sand Boa, etc.
Avifauna
The national park also houses several species of avifauna, including brown fish owl, Indian eagle owl, pygmy woodpecker, vultures, crested serpent eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, crested hawk-eagle, brown fish owl, rock bush-quail, crested treeswift, Indian pitta, and black-headed oriole. These make Gir National Park a paradise for birdwatchers.
Do reach out to Indian Holiday for more details and for Gir National Park booking at the best prices.
