Stories
Grasslands
What are Grasslands?
Grasslands are open landscapes where grasses or grass-like plants dominate. These ecosystems usually have very few trees because of limited rainfall, poor soils, or extreme weather. But they are far from empty — grasslands are bursting with life.
Key Characteristics of Grasslands
UNESCO defines grasslands as areas where herbaceous plants dominate, with less than 10 per cent tree cover. In India, these ecosystems respond to the monsoon cycle—grasses often dry out in summer and bounce back during the rains.
Types of Grasslands in India: From Chaurs to Banni Grasslands
Grasslands are incredibly varied. About twenty-four per cent of India’s land area is covered in grasslands. In the Himalayas, there are the high alpine bugyals and maidans; in the Terai region, vast floodplain grasslands called chaurs stretch across Uttarakhand and Bihar. The Deccan plateau has dry grasslands often called raan, while Gujarat’s banni grasslands are known for seasonal wetness and grazing. The Western Ghats have shola-grassland mosaics shaped by wind and fire, while the grasslands of Saswad in Maharashtra reflect a distinctive coexistence between people and wildlife.
Which Species are Found in Grasslands: Birds and Mammals
These ecosystems are home to iconic species like the blackbuck, Indian wolf, great Indian bustard, and floricans. Many of these animals rely entirely on open grasslands to feed, breed, and survive. Grasslands have also long supported pastoralist communities, including the Maldharis of Gujarat and Dhangars of Maharashtra.
Threats to Grassland Ecosystems
Yet, these vital ecosystems are disappearing—often misclassified as “wastelands” and taken over for agriculture, development, or ill-conceived tree-planting drives. Invasive species like vilayati babul (Neltuma juliflora) also threaten native grasses.
Grasslands store large amounts of carbon underground. Protecting and restoring them is not just about saving wildlife—it’s also one of our best tools to fight climate change.
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Column
Finding Philautus: Bush Frogs in the Western Ghats
Photo Story
The Giving Tree: A Mighty Oak Ecosystem
Photo Story
Big Five: The Stars and Stripes of Kaziranga National Park
Species
Bengal Fox: Resilient Canid of Indian Grasslands
Film
Saswad: In Harmony with Wild Neighbours
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Friend of The Floricans
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The Vanishing White-naped Tit of the Aravallis
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The Manas Story: From Hunters to Protectors
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Land of the Giants: Rhinos of Jaldapara
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Gateway to the Northeast: Jaldapara National Park
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The Endangered Bengal Florican and Koklabari's Fields of Hope
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Orans of Rajasthan: A Sacred Oasis at the Cusp of Change
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The Dark Knights: How Hyenas Protect our Ecosystems
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Leopards of Saswad: On the Edge of a Concrete Jungle
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A Reign at Risk: The Indian Grey Wolf and the Grasslands of Saswad
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Hunters to Guardians: The Extraordinary Story of Panna’s Pardhis
Film
Chaurs: The Wild and Wonderful Grasslands of Corbett
Film
Wild, Wild West: Little Rann of Kutch and Velavadar
Film
Saving the Forgotten Wilds of Koppal: Why This Biodiverse Ecosystem Needs to Be Conserved
Film
The Buck Stops Here: Blackbucks- Sprinters of Our Golden Grasslands
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Friendly Neighbours: Lesser Florican and the Farmers of Shokaliya
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Harriers: The Winter Guests of Velavadar
Habitat
Looking for Eyeshine: A Tiny Wildcat and its Neighbours in Jawai
Habitat
Moods of the Forest in Raimona National Park
Habitat
Growing with Nature: The Story of Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
Habitat
Flirting with the Rain in Mizoram’s Murlen National Park
Habitat
Up in the Clouds: Mizoram’s Phawngpui National Park
Travel
The Guide: Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Film
Great Indian Bustard’s Life on the Edge
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Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
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The Return of Kaziranga’s Greater One-horned Rhinoceros
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Grazing, Lazing, Wallowing: The Good Life of the Wild Water Buffalo
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Stag Party: The Eastern Swamp Deer’s Bachelor Life
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The Greater One-Horned Rhino Has its Own Scent Code
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How Kaziranga National Park is Reborn, Every Year
Species
Pins and Needles: The Indian Crested Porcupine
Photo Story
Tibetan Sand Fox: High-Altitude Hunter
Conservation
The Flooding of Kaziranga
Wild Vault
The Kashmir Langur's Identity Crisis
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Indian Grey Wolf: Mystique and Misfortune on the Grasslands
Species
The Wolves of Velavadar and a Pack of Memories
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Drones Give Wildlife Conservation an Added Edge
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When Nature Repurposes: Lessons from Velavadar
Infographic
Tortoise Beetles: Facts, Lifecycle and Distribution
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Rhinos Without Borders
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Wildlife Warriors: The Guardians of Kaziranga Brave On
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Graze Anatomy: The Elegant Swamp Deer and its Grassland Home
Species
Grasslands are the Eastern Swamp Deer’s Only Domain
Conservation
An Appeal to Tourists: Stop Feeding the Nilgiri Tahr
Photo Story
Fragile and Fantastic: The Bird Paradise of Dibru-Saikhowa
Conservation
Securing the Future of the Eastern Swamp Deer in Assam
Species
Not the Witch’s Steed: Why the Hyena is India’s Most Misunderstood Predator
Photo Story
A Fleeting Symphony: Grassland Birds of the Brahmaputra Plains
Conservation
In Deep Waters: The Conservation Saga of the Ganges River Dolphin
Conservation
Future in Jeopardy: The Wild Water Buffalo in Assam
Conservation
Removal of Invasive Prosopis May Affect Livelihoods in Banni Grasslands, Says Study
Conservation
Pallas’s Cat: Silent Predator of the Trans-Himalayas
Infographic
Yellow-breasted Bunting: Facts, Calls, Threats
Infographic
Hangul: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Infographic
Lesser Florican: Dance, Habitat, Courtship
Column
Breaking Bad: The Brotherhood of Bull Elephants
Infographic
Caracal: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Conservation
Caracal in Crisis: From a Life among Royals, to Fighting for Survival
Photo Story
A Year in the Life of Kaziranga’s Rhinos
Infographic
Eastern Swamp Deer: Facts, Habitat
Infographic
Wild Water Buffalo: Facts, Threats, Diet
Infographic
Black-breasted Parrotbill: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Infographic
White-Browed Bushchat: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Infographic
Indian Wild Ass: Facts, Habitats, Threats
Infographic
Indian Wolf: Facts, Size, Weight, Habitat
Infographic
Striped Hyena: Facts, Diet, Habitat
Infographic
MacQueen’s Bustard: Courtship Rituals, Habitat, Threats
Infographic
Pygmy Hog: Facts, Habitat, and How it Builds a Nest
Infographic
Nilgiri Tahr: Facts, Habitat, and Protection Status
Infographic
Bengal Florican: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Photo Story
When the Big Flood Came to Kaziranga
Photo Story
Not Just Desert: The Wild, Varied Habitats of Rajasthan
Column
The Blue Mountains: Love and Longing for the Shola Grasslands
Column
Poo to Woo: How Blackbucks Use Their Dung to Attract Mates
News
The Indian Grey Wolf is in Need of Greater Protection
News
Return of the Cheetah: But Where Will it Roam?
News
Anamalai Wood Snake: New Species Found in the Western Ghats
News
Golden Jackals Find Shelter at Airports
Wild Vault
The Woodcarvers of Kaziranga Cut Through Stereotypes
Wild Vault
Droughts Mitigated at Lamkani through Grassland Restoration
Travel
Fringe Ford and the Scoop on Poop
Urban Jungle
Hesaraghatta Lake and the Savannah of Silicon City
Conservation
The Women Who Walk with Rhinos
Conservation
Where Wildlife gets a Second Chance
Conservation
Pygmy hog: Back from the Brink
Conservation
Not Wastelands: Non-forest Habitats of the Western Ghats
Conservation
Out of Place: Invasive Species in the Western Ghats
Conservation
Is the Lesser Florican Jumping to Extinction?
Conservation
Dhangars of Saswad: How Traditional Livelihoods Conserve Unique Ecosystems
Conservation
A Flood and a Forest: When Brahma’s Son Engulfs Kaziranga
Conservation
Lives in the Balance: Unravelling Koppal’s Shared Spaces
Conservation
Gujarat’s Wildlife Habitats Call for Protection
Conservation
Lesser Florican: Hope in Rajasthan, but on the Brink in Madhya Pradesh
Conservation
Brahmaputra’s River Islands Threatened by Burning and Clearing of Grasslands
Conservation
The Vanishing Grasslands and Wetlands of India
Habitat
In Search of One Hundred Rhinos in Kaziranga National Park
Habitat
Tal Chhapar: The Golden Grasslands of Churu
Habitat
The Wilds of Saswad: The Vibrant Grassland Near Pune
Habitat
The Serengeti of Saurashtra: Sightings Abound at the Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat
Habitat
The Guide: Satpura National Park
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Keoladeo Ghana National Park: Floating Laboratory of Bharatpur
Habitat
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve: A Sight and Story at Every Bend
Species
India’s Prehistoric Unicorns: The Rhinos of Kaziranga
Species
Bengal Florican: Erstwhile King of the Grasslands
Species
Montagu’s Harriers: The Slender Hawks of Velavadar
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Unfair Game: The Plight of the MacQueen’s Bustard
Species
Chinkara: The Graceful Gazelles of Saswad
Species
No Laughing Matter: Nilgiri Laughingthrush and its Habitats at Risk
Species
Indian Grey Wolf: Ghosts of The Grasslands
Species
Painted Sandgrouse: The Art of Blending In
Habitat
Shola-Grasslands in the Palani Hills
Species
Rare Black-breasted Parrotbills Hide in the Grasslands
Urban Jungle
Longwood Shola, the Only Urban Shola Forest in the Nilgiris
Explainer
Grasslands: Importance, Types, Threats
Interactive
Quiz: Small Carnivores
Species
Pussyfooting Parliamentarians: Short-eared Owls in the Little Rann
Species
Short-eared Owl: Hidden Winter Resident of the Grasslands
Species
Montagu’s Harrier: Prowlers on the Grassland
Conservation
On the Edge: Saga of the Great Indian Bustard
Conservation
Counting Wolves Through Their Calls
Species
The Grand Old Buffaloes of the Savannah Need Protection
Conservation
Unchecked Tree Planting in Grasslands Threatens Native Biodiversity, Warns Ecologist
Infographic
Pallas's Cat: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Conservation
Troubled Waters: Alien Plants and Water Stress in the Nilgiris
Species
Spotted Creeper in the Khejri Tree
Infographic
Great Indian Bustard: Facts, Habitat, and Protection Status
Species
Thriving in Thin Air: Pikas of the Himalayan Talus
Species
Raiders of the Anthill: Sloth Bears of Kumbhalgarh
Hero
Allahrakha Khan: The Living Legend of Velavadar’s Last Grassland
Conservation
Garnering Community Support for the Great Indian Bustard
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