Gujarat
50 Results
Bengal Fox: Resilient Canid of Indian Grasslands
Although confined to small, fragmented savanna patches, foxes persist in some grasslands in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district
Species
Magnificent Murmuration: Aerial Acrobatics of Rosy Starlings
Flocks of rosy starlings gather and coalesce into a humungous shape-shifting cloud of up to a million birds in a phenomenon called “murmuration”
Photo Story
The Guide: Purna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat
An obscure wildlife sanctuary in South Gujarat is a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers
Travel
The Basket Weavers of Dang
The Kotwalias are one of the most marginalised communities in South Gujarat’s Dang district. They are skilled bamboo artisans who rely on the forest for their lives and livelihoods
Hero
Owling in Gujarat’s Dang
Twelve species of owls can be spotted with relative ease in this area of the northern Western Ghats, making owling incredibly popular with birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts
Photo Story
Forest Owlet: Resurrected but Endangered
With an interesting history of “extinction” and rediscovery, the endemic forest owlet perches on the brink of disappearing
Species
The Guide: Vansda National Park, Gujarat
Trees and birds hold sway in this little-known protected area in south Gujarat, tucked into the northernmost end of the Western Ghats
Travel
Dang: Wild and Wonderful
Dang district in south-eastern Gujarat is green dreamland. Much of it is forested with teak and bamboo, amidst which live an astonishing variety of birds
Habitat
Identifying Mugger Crocodiles Using Drones
Researchers in Gujarat believe the model could be useful in rescue and relocation efforts to minimise human-crocodile conflicts and in analysing mugger biology.
Conservation
Kutch: From Bird Paradise to Death Trap?
Thousands of birds are estimated to be dying in Kutch due to collisions with power lines. The lines also threaten the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard
Conservation
Sensory Trails on a Campus in Gujarat
The sheltered green spaces in educational campuses are hotspots of biodiversity and wilderness. Step off manicured lawns onto dirt tracks and learn to look at unpruned canopies — to let a world of wonder open up
Urban Jungle
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Social Life of the Striped Hyena
The striped hyena mostly lives a solitary life until a female gives birth to cubs. Then, a clan gathers around to raise them
Photo Story
Three Lions Take on a Lone Turtle. Will it Survive?
Every visit to Gir Wildlife Sanctuary throws up surprises. This time it was a chance sighting of three subadult Asiatic Lions, trying to feast on a seemingly helpless but extremely hardy Indian Flapshell Turtle
Wild Vault
Tiger Story: Lost Stripes of Gujarat
This is a tale of two big cats. One was abundant in numerous districts of Gujarat up to the early 1960s, the other was almost gone. In a twist of fate, it was the creature that was plentiful that became locally extinct in the state
Wild Vault
Alliances of Lions: Power and the Politics of Coalitions
Forming partnerships with other males is crucial to the survival of young male lions and allows them to become eligible bachelors
Column
Junk Food: Why Migratory Gulls are Snacking on the Gujarati Gathiya
Every winter, gulls travel from faraway lands like Siberia and Alaska to warmer regions of India. In parts of Gujarat, they are getting hooked to a local fried snack — the gathiya
Video
The Khur of Kutch: The Indian Wild Ass and its Last Home
The Indian wild ass once sprinted across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. But today, the Little Rann of Kutch is its last remaining refuge
Video
Harriers: The Winter Guests of Velavadar
Every winter, harriers fly thousands of miles from northern Central Asia to reach the grasslands of Saurashtra. Gujarat's Velavadar is India's largest roosting ground for these handsome birds of prey
Video
Galloping Through Khur Country: The Asiatic Wild Asses of Gujarat
Though their numbers have improved significantly, conservationists are still concerned for the survival of India’s khurs
Photo Story
A Study in Pink: The Flamboyant Flamingos of Kutch
Every monsoon, the sea gushes into Kutch transforming the parched flatland into an oasis, ready to welcome its most flamboyant guests — greater and lesser flamingos
Video
Wild, Wild West: Little Rann of Kutch and Velavadar
On the western edge of India, two astonishing landscapes exist, the Little Rann of Kutch and the rolling grasslands of Velavadar, that teem with the most magnificent creatures
Video
Pink City: When Flamingos take over the Little Rann of Kutch
Every monsoon, vast colonies of greater and lesser flamingos descend upon the seasonal wetlands of Gujarat
Photo Story
Big Little Lives: The Great Diversity of the Little Rann of Kutch
From spiny-tailed lizards to striped hyenas, this marshland supports all manner of life
Photo Story
Poo to Woo: How Blackbucks Use Their Dung to Attract Mates
Blackbuck males know how to win a mate’s heart — with proud piles of prodigious poop
Column
Gujarat’s Wildlife Habitats Call for Protection
Rare and unique wildlife found in the state’s vast stretches of grasslands, salt marshes, scrub forests and coastline need immediate conservation attention
Conservation
Not the Witch’s Steed: Why the Hyena is India’s Most Misunderstood Predator
The hyena is neither evil or cunning, nor a solitary scavenger. What the intelligent mammal desperately needs is an image makeover
Species
MacQueen’s Bustard: Courtship Rituals, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this persecuted bustard
Infographic
Mum’s the Word with the Desert Fox in the Little Rann
Elusive white-footed vixens rear their pups in hidden burrows of the Little Rann of Kutch
Photo Story
Indian Wild Ass: Facts, Habitats, Threats
Everything you need to know about one of the fastest Indian mammals
Infographic
Faking It: Big Cats and the Confusion Around Paternity
Female lions and tigers go to great lengths to mask the identity of their cubs’ fathers, and with good reason
Column
White-Browed Bushchat: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this enigmatic desert dancer
Infographic
The Daily Dichotomies of Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch
Nothing is as it seems in this unique ecosystem in eastern Gujarat
Habitat
The Serengeti of Saurashtra: Sightings Abound at the Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat
Antelopes, wolves, hyenas, and plenty of migratory birds inhabit this protected reserve in Velavadar
Habitat
Allahrakha Khan: The Living Legend of Velavadar’s Last Grassland
More than 2OO years ago, his forefathers first started protecting the Velavadar grasslands. Over the course of his life, he has not only continued their legacy, but also turned into an unlikely guardian of the park’s endangered, sprightly, lesser florican
Hero
Unfair Game: The Plight of the MacQueen’s Bustard
This worldwide population of this little-known bustard has been severely harmed by its use as live bait in an illegal hunting sport
Species
First Among Equals: Wild Asses of the Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann’s flagship species is shy, skittish, and ever alert to human intrusion into its home
Species
When Nature Repurposes: Lessons from Velavadar
While we are only just catching up on the importance of recycling to help our planet, the natural world is many seasons ahead of us
Wild Vault
The Guide: Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
While the migratory birds in winter are the biggest attraction, the lake is home to nearly 25O avian species
Travel
The Wolves of Velavadar and a Pack of Memories
A visit to the golden grasslands of Gujarat’s Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar results in unusual sightings of wolves and a rush of childhood memories
Species
Pussyfooting Parliamentarians: Short-eared Owls in the Little Rann
A communal roosting site of this ground dwelling owl in the Little Rann of Kachchh demonstrates the aptness of some collective nouns
Species
Montagu’s Harriers: The Slender Hawks of Velavadar
Every year, thousands of harriers from Central Asia visit Gujarat to feast on the abundance that the grasslands of Velavadar Blackbuck National Park offer
Species
Foxy Tales: Look Before You Leap
In the Kutch district of Gujarat, the clever desert fox survives a harsh habitat and outsmarts those who pursue it
Species
Short-eared Owl: Hidden Winter Resident of the Grasslands
The short-eared owl breaks common owl stereotypes — it migrates across continents, flaps its wings like a moth, and is active in the daytime
Species
Why Rann When you can fly: The Bar-headed Geese of Gujarat
Every winter, flocks of these migratory geese make their way from Central Asia to the Indian peninsula
Species
Kuno, India’s second home for the Asiatic lion, is ready
Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno Palpur Wildlife sanctuary is all set to be the new home for relocated Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat
News
The Guide: Gir National Park
Go for the lions, but stay for the rugged hills, the charming birds, the gregarious langurs, and the gratifying golden sunsets
Travel
Deserts Decoded
Everything you need to know about these arid landscapes
Explainer
Is the Lesser Florican Jumping to Extinction?
The smallest member of the bustard family faces a peculiar conundrum: breed or be safe?
Conservation
The swimming camels of Kutch
The magnificent Kharai camels get vital elements of their diet from marine mangroves on islands –and get there by swimming – yes swimming! – several kilometres off the coast of Kachchh (or Kutch) in Gujarat
News
Out of Sight: The Rann, Thar, and the Great Indian Bustard
Inhabitant of the grasslands of western India, this critically endangered species needs all the help it can get to bring it back from the brink of extinction
Species