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Location:
Valsad District – approx. 40 km. from Billimora, Gujarat.
Coverage Area: Approximately
24 Sq Kms.
Main Attractions: Monkeys,
Langoor.
Best Time To Visit : October
To March.
Accommodation : PWD and Panchayat guest houses at vansda and Waghai
Forest
rest
house at Waghai.
A
rich and old forest, predominantly covered by very tall teak trees,
mango groves and gigantic creepers comprises the Vansda National Park.
The forest is extremely dense and some parts are dark even during normal
daytime.
THE WILD POPULATION
The forest is a habitat of monkeys, deer, a few leopards and a wide
species of birds. Hyenas, wild boar, sambhar, four horned antelopes and
a rich variety of bird and plant life are also found here.
Permission is required to enter the park.
 The
Gir wildlife sanctuary and national park, collectively referred to as
the Gir Protected Area (PA), is located in the Saurashtra peninsula of
Gujarat in western India.
Flora
:
Vegetation
in Gir can be looked at in four ways. The first is the Teak forest and
nearly half of the protected area has this kind of a habitat. The main
tree species that occupy this habitat are Khair, Sadad, Timru, Babul,
Amla, Moledi, Dhavdo, Kadayo and Bahedo.
The non-Teak forests, which comprise the remaining forest consists of
tree species like the Khair, Dhavdo, Sadad, Timru, Amla, Moledi, Kadayo,
Salai, Simal, Khakhro, Ber and Asundro.
A distinct belt of vegetation is found along the main rivers and
streams. Species like the
Jambu, Karanj, Umro, Vad, Kalam, Charal, Sirus and Amli are found here.
These trees are mostly broad leaved and evergreen, giving the area a
cool shade and the moisture content. Finally, Prosopis and Casuarina
have been planted in the coastal border as part of the aforestation
plan.
Fauna :
The
Gir national park is a heaven to about 300 Asiatic lions. The Lion,
Panther Leo, inhabits the forest of Gir in the Saurashtra peninsula,
attracting sixty thousand visitors to this sanctuary of Gujarat every
year. Gir today is the only place in the world, outside Africa, where
the lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The Asiatic lion is
slightly smaller than its African cousin, nevertheless, a large male
lion of the Gir is quite a sight to behold. The best way to observe the
big cats is, of course, in their natural surroundings, at dawn and dusk,
when they are on the prowl. Wildlife viewing in the Girs is best done,
by driving around the forest.
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