|
Sariska Wildlife
Sanctuary
Once the hunting reserve of the maharajas
of Alwar, in whose jurisdiction it fell,
Sariska's forests are typical of the
Aravallis with their undulating terrain of
low hills, teep escarpments, wide valleys
and hill plateaus. A atural habitat for the
tiger, it ould have held a commendable
population of these tigers had the forests
around the park not been vandalised in the
recent decades. Today, the region is a ajor
milk pocket, and cattle have eroded the
forestlands and pastures around the park, so
that the population of wildlife has shrunk
to the limits of the park alone. Human
population and the resence of religious
spots around and inside the park have
further led to the deterioration of the
environment.
For all that, Sariska is a heavily forested
reserve, and a drive through the park shows
up a large number of deer species (sambhar,
chital, nilgai) as well as largurs that
inhabit the tree cover. Also residents of
the reserve, though almost as elusive as the
tiger on account of the cover of vegtation,
are leopard, jungle cat, jackal, hyena, and
wild dog. Observers often gather at hides
close to waterholes to view and photograph
wildlife thougt, of course, they cannot stay
beyond evening light. When deer come to feed
at these waterholes, they attract the
presence of leopards, tigers and wild dogs,
especially in summer when all other sources
of water shrink and vapourise.
Like all parks, there is also a variety of
birdlife in Sariska that includes the gray
partridge, whitebreasted kingfisher, golden-
backed woodpecker, serpent eagle, great
Indian horned owl, and others.
Base: Sariska has accommodation to
offer outside the park, in the state owned
tourism complex, as well as in a former
royal hunting lodge. Sariska is connected
with both Jaipur and Delhi. Best time to
visit is winter, though chances of tiger
sighting increase in the summer; the park is
closed in the rains. |
