Wild Ass Sanctuary - Little Rann of Kutch
Yes you are right this is a sanctuary where wild asses are preserved! When you are exploring the Rann region of Gujarat, this sanctuary will be in your tourist chart. Enjoy the safari across the Wild Ass Sanctuary, geographically located in the Little Rann of Kutch—the extreme north western fringes of Gujarat and India as well. If you are fascinated to explore the fauna and flora and if safari adventurous tours are always on top of your charts, this Wild Ass Sanctuary will offer you a unique experience.
Location
The Wild Ass Sanctuary is situated in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and this is around 150 Kilometers from Ahmedabad the state of Gujarat. The exact location of the sanctuary is latitude 23.26° north and longitude 71.20° east. All the major roads of Gujarat is well connected with the place.
Best Time to Visit
Winter is the ideal time to explore the Wild Ass Sanctuary. Starting from the end of November to February is the best time to enjoy the dry and arid place. Summers are scorching and monsoon mostly floods the marshy lands with rainwater.
Flora & Fauna
Coming to the flora, this desert region of Kutch remains almost dry for the year and without the thorny bushes of cactus no large trees are found here. The wild asses mainly survive on various species of grasses grown here.
The biggest highlight of the Wild Ass Sanctuary is on the Wild asses besides there are desert fox, nilgai, chinkara, blackbuck, desert cat, jackal, striped hyena, wolf and caracal are found here.
Alongside the animals, the wild ass sanctuary houses many rare birds of different species. Around 350 species of birds live here including the migrating ones. This is a bird watching paradise besides Bharatpur of Rajasthan. Cranes, pelican, flamingo are common here. The exotic blue-tailed bee-eatercrane from Europe, Siberia’s demoiselle crane, Iran’s and Iraq’s houbara bustard, ceraneous vulture of Egypt etc are the common migrating birds that flocks here in winter.
Top Tourists Attractions
The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary covers almost all of the Little Rann of Kutch of 5,000 square km roughly. Mainly known as the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, it was established in 1972 to protect the wild ass (Equus Hemionus Khur). These asses are becoming amlost endangered today that’s why the protected area is made for their survival. Today this is one of the top tourist attractions for the people in their Gujarat tour.
Another great tourist delight here in the Little Rann of Kutch area is the Zinjuwada. This is an 11th century fort that was built by the Solanki dynasty.
Besides the Wild Ass Sanctuary and the old fort, what attract the tourists is the handicrafts displaced by the local tribes. Even today the tribes live in the western most fringes of the Rann region of Gujarat and the famous groups are Rabaris, Gujjars, Bharvads, Kutchis and Bajanias.
How to reach?
By Air: The nearest airport is Bhuj; situated around 150 km from the Wild Ass Sanctuary. Regular flights are available from Mumbai from Bhuj.
By Rail: Dhangadhra is the nearest railway station; situated around 22 km from the Wild Ass Sanctuary Ahmedabad is 130 km from there. The station is well connected to all the major cities.
By road: The Wild Ass Sanctuary is well connected to the other important cities via the state by State Transport Corporation buses and luxury coaches operated by private agencies. From Bhuj regular buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws are available to the Little Rann of Kutch.