Gir Forest National Park, Route 2 - 6

Bhambhaphod to Sasan check post

Gir National Park is one of the oldest National Parks of India and is famed for being the last refuge of the Asiatic Lion. The arid landscape of Gir has a lot to offer besides the famous Asiatic Lion. Gir also supports a large population of the leopards and is famed for having the largest concentration of carnivores. Important prey species are Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Nilgai, and Sambar. Gir is also excellent for birds, many species like Mottled Wood-owl, Indian Scops-owl, Indian Little Nightjar, Crested Treeswift, Indian Peafowl, Asian Paradise and Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Tawny-bellied and Yellow-eyed Babbler, Indian Stone-curlew and many more can be seen here. Other fauna like Four-horned Antelope, Chinkara, Striped Hyena, Golden Jackal, Black-naped Hare, and Bengal Monitor as well as Marsh Crocodile can be seen.

The count of 2,375 distinct fauna species of Gir includes about 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and more than 2,000 species of insects.
The carnivores group mainly comprises Asiatic lions, Indian Leopards, Sloth bears, Indian Cobras, Jungle cats, Striped Hyenas, Golden Jackals, Indian Mongoose, Indian Palm Civets, and Ratels. Desert cats and Rusty-spotted cats exist but are rarely seen.
The main herbivores of Gir are Chital, Nilgai (or Bluebull), Sambar, Four-horned Antelope, Chinkara and Wild boar. Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary.

Among the smaller mammals, Porcupine and Hare are common but the Pangolin is rare. The reptiles are represented by the Marsh crocodile hir Tortoise and the Monitor Lizard in the water areas of the sanctuary. Snakes are found in the bushes and forest. Pythons are sighted at times along the stream banks. Gir has been used by the Gujarat State Forest Department which adopted the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project in 1977 and released close to 1000 Marsh crocodile reared in Gir rearing centre into the Kamaleshwar lake and other reservoirs and small water bodies in and around Gir.
The plentiful avifauna population has more than 300 species of birds, most of which are resident. The scavenger group of birds has 6 recorded species of Vultures. Some of the typical species of Gir include Crested Serpent Eagle, endangered Bonelli's Eagle, Crested Hawk-eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Eagle-Owl, Rock Bush-Quail, Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-headed Oriole, Crested Treeswift and Indian Pitta. The Indian Grey Hornbill was not found in the last census of 2001.

More photos can be seen at https://picasaweb.google.com/109098639226916210994/BNHSCampToGirNationalParkMay2013?noredirect=1