History
A hot favourite on many tourist itineraries, Rajasthan is an exotic and heady combination of desert, history and culture. Come winter, and the state’s flooded with tourists eager to go on camel safaris, to shop, to visit medieval palaces- and, in an increasingly large number of cases, to go wildlife-watching. Of Rajasthan’s more than a dozen Protected Areas, Sariska is easily one of the best.
Sariska Tiger Reserve lies amidst the Aravali Hills- 800 sq km of grassland, dry deciduous forests, sheer cliffs and rocky landscape interspersed with the ruins of medieval buildings.
Nearly 90% of the area is covered with thickets of scrubby dhok trees, within which lives an impressive array of wildlife - including the elusive and majestic tiger. Apart from the tiger, a variety of other wildlife like the leopard, sambhar, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, wild boar, rhesus macaque, langur, hyena and jungle cats are found in the park. Also a highly visible section of Sariska’s inhabitants are its many birds- the park is home to India’s largest population of peafowl, and harbours quail, sandgrouse, golden- backed woodpeckers and crested serpent eagles, among other species. The Siliserh Lake, on the edge of the park, has a large number of crocodiles.
Like many of India’s other wildlife reserves, Sariska too has its own set of issues relating to poaching, pollution and conservation. Despite these problems, however, Sariska has endured. Local forest protection societies have been set up in neighbouring villages, and efforts by regional NGOs have helped generate a certain level of interest among the decision- makers as well as the local villagers.
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