Arid and Semi-arid Grasslands
30 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
Caracal: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this elusive wild cat with long ear tufts
Infographic
Caracal in Crisis: From a Life among Royals, to Fighting for Survival
Till 2001, the caracal was seen in 13 Indian states but now it is reported in only three states in India with two viable populations in Rajasthan and Gujarat
Conservation
Orans of Rajasthan: A Sacred Oasis at the Cusp of Change
Deg Rai Mata Oran is one of Rajasthan's largest sacred groves. A local guardian tells us how the lives of oran’s people and its biodiversity are intrinsically linked and why the new changes could be detrimental to this sacred oasis
Video
Hunters to Guardians: The Extraordinary Story of Panna’s Pardhis
For nearly five centuries, the nomadic Pardhi community has lived in Panna's forests. Traditionally, they were hired by Maharajas to track big game. Today, the former hunters use the same skills to protect its wildlife
Video
Droughts Mitigated at Lamkani through Grassland Restoration
A ban on grazing and felling of trees coupled with watershed management restores this village near Dhule to its former glory
Wild Vault
The Dark Knights: How Hyenas Protect our Ecosystems
Hyenas feed on rotting carcasses, and never leave decaying matter around to spread disease. These misunderstood scavengers are crucial to the health of Saswad’s grasslands
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
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
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
MacQueen’s Bustard: Courtship Rituals, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this persecuted bustard
Infographic
Indian Wild Ass: Facts, Habitats, Threats
Everything you need to know about one of the fastest Indian mammals
Infographic
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
White-Browed Bushchat: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this enigmatic desert dancer
Infographic
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
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
Dhangars of Saswad: How Traditional Livelihoods Conserve Unique Ecosystems
Climate change and infrastructure projects are threatening the traditional pastoral occupations that have helped preserve the grasslands of Saswad for centuries
Conservation
Raiders of the Anthill: Sloth Bears of Kumbhalgarh
A sweet tooth and a penchant for ants and termites occasionally take the sloth bear beyond the boundaries of Rajasthan’s wildlife sanctuaries
Species
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
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
Spotted Creeper in the Khejri Tree
With a melodious call, the rare Indian spotted creeper makes an appearance on a misty morning in the Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary
Species
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
Tal Chhapar: The Golden Grasslands of Churu
The national park is home to many vulnerable and endangered birds and of course to its most famous resident — the blackbuck
Habitat
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
Great Indian Bustard: Facts, Habitat, and Protection Status
Everything you need to know about this critically endangered bird of the grasslands
Infographic
The Indian Grey Wolf is in Need of Greater Protection
A recent study found that most habitats suited to the Indian grey wolf lie outside protected sanctuaries and national parks, putting its survival at great risk
News