The Desert National Park is one of the important national parks in Rajasthan and is situated near the town of Jaisalmer. Sprawling over an area of 3162 square kilometres, the national park is one of the largest national parks in the country. The unique landscape of the national park is one of the greatest attractions for tourists from all over the world. Almost 20 per cent of the park is constituted of sand dunes. The rest of the landmark comprises of fixed dunes, intermedial areas, salt lake bottoms and craggy rocks. It is an excellent example of the desert ecosystem.
Despite the landscape, the national park abounds in birdlife. The most commonly sighted birds in the national park include the endangered Great Indian Bustard, sand grouse, kestrels, laggar falcons, spotted eagles, tawny eagles, short toed eagles, vultures, buzzards, falcons, harriers and eagles.
The Desert National Park also has an impressive collection of plant and animal fossils which are as old as 180 million years. The most suitable time to visit the Desert National Park is between November and January. The most commonly sighted wild animals in the national park include chinkara, black bucks, hedgehogs, wolves, desert cats, Bengal foxes and desert foxes.
The most important attraction of the national park is the Great Indian Bustard, which is a magnificent bird found in very few numbers. The bird is brown and white in colour, measures about one metre in height and has long legs and neck. Some of the other attractions near the Desert National Park are the Sam Sand Dunes located near the Thar Desert and the Gadsisar Sagar Tank. The Gadsisar Sagar Tank is one of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan. A large number of migratory birds visit the lake during the winters every year. Tourists can also enjoy jeep safaris to explore a larger part of the area.
Best time to visit : October to February
Opening and closing hours : 12 pm to 5 pm
Type of Wildlife Safari : Jeep and Horse
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