Desert National Park
20 Results
Art Expedition: On the Trail of the Great Indian Bustard
Wildlife artist Sangeetha Kadur illustrates the critically endangered bustard, and its neighbours, in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park
Wild Vault
The Guide: Desert National Park
Far from empty, this park in Rajasthan has a wealth of birds, reptiles, mammals, and even flowering plants
Travel
Decoding the Wheatears of India
Protected areas like the Desert National Park in Rajasthan host seven of the nine species of these birds found in India
Species
Musa Khan: Birding Star of Desert National Park
A few years ago, Musa Khan could barely identify five birds. Today, renowned wildlife photographers and ornithologists depend on his expertise
Hero
Garnering Community Support for the Great Indian Bustard
A wildlife biologist couple spearhead an effort to involve the local community in conserving Rajasthan’s state bird, the Godawan
Conservation
Thar: The Secret Lives of a Harsh Desert
The dry and deceptively empty Thar desert has an incredible story to tell – of spectacular diversity, unusual creatures, and exemplary survival strategies
Video
Dune Watching in the Thar: Skinks, Scorpions, and Other Small Wonders of the Desert Ecosystem
The diversity of a desert landscape might not be apparent, but it is ever present, and a joy to observe
Photo Story
Great Indian Bustard’s Life on the Edge
Royalty of grasslands and scrublands, the majestic great Indian Bustard once flew across 11 states of the country. But today, fewer than 15O survive in the wild, with Rajasthan being one of its last bastions
Video
Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
Meet the graceful chinkara that springs across the Thar. Also, meet its guardian angels — the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who watch over everything that thrives in the hot desert
Video
Chinkara Poaching Racket Uncovered in Rajasthan
The four accused are suspected to have killed hundreds of chinkaras, the state animal, over almost a decade
News
Sun and Sand: Spiny-Tailed Lizard’s Day Out
The sun is up in the Thar desert, and cold-blooded spiny-tailed lizards need to step out of their burrow to warm up. But hungry predators lurk just around the corner. Will the alert spiny get away?
Video
Hunters of the Thar: Raptors in Desert National Park
Beyond Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, only the most resilient raptors survive the surreal desert landscape
Photo Story
Dung Beetles: The Little Things That Run the World
They are found nearly all over the planet and are considered engineers of the soil. But why are dung beetles so fascinated with poop?
Species
Desert National Park: The Abundant Life of the Sand and Scrubs
The Desert National Park is anything but deserted. Look closely, and you will spot gazelles, sandgrouses, foxes, snakes, and if you are lucky, the charismatic, critically endangered great Indian bustard
Habitat
Tactical Tails: Life Moves in Slow Motion for the Spiny-tailed Lizard
With a fat tail that is both a boon and bane, this herbivorous reptile has adapted well to a hot, arid habitat
Species
Meet Spiny, the Only Herbivorous Lizard Species in India
How the spiny-tailed lizard copes with its habitat in the desert and its many predators
Species
Deserts Decoded
Everything you need to know about these arid landscapes
Explainer
Dune Crickets: The Underdogs of the Thar Desert
The Thar desert in Rajasthan is home to two of the seven known dune cricket species. The insects have adopted mechanisms and lifestyles that help them survive the arid desert climate
News
The Trickster of the Desert: Greater Hoopoe Lark
The greater hoopoe lark is clever. When it sees a predator, it fake falls and pretends to be an injured, easy prey, to distract the hunter from its nest
Species
White-browed Bushchat: The Enigmatic Desert Dancer
Little is known about this elusive bird, including why it occasionally puffs its white breast feathers and sways gracefully from side to side, as if to an imagined melody
Species