Velavadar
Gujarat
Altitude
150m – 530m
Vegetation
Largely grassland with a few pockets of Prosopis chilensis
Total Area
34.08 km²
Rainfall
806 mm
Velavadar
Basic Facts
Operational
October - June
Best time to go
December - March
Airport
Surat
Railway
Bhavnagar
Climate
23 - 44 °C
Velavadar
About Blackbuck National Park
This beautiful, 34-sq-km park that is an hour’s drive north of Bhavnagar, encompasses large areas of pale, custard-coloured grassland stretching between two seasonal rivers and is famous for its blackbucks – beautiful, fast antelope that sport elegant spiraling horns as long as 65cm in mature males. Some 1800 inhabit the park, alongside blue bulls (India’s largest antelope) and birds such as wintering harriers from Siberia (about 2000 of them most years). There are over 120 species of birds that can be found in the park and around. If you’re lucky, you may even spot wolves! The best time to visit the sanctuary is early in the morning when chances of seeing the wolves are a lot more. In the day, the blackbucks are easy to spot but the wolves are elusive. The pale gold grassland is dotted with clusters of blackbucks.
They move around in gendered groups – the males together, and the females and fawns in their own groups. It is good that hiring a guide is mandatory as anecdotes about the animals and life in the village are always fun to know more about.
The sanctuary was established in July 1976, as an initial protected area of about 18 sq km. In 1980, another 16 sq km were added to increase the total area to 34 sq km. Even though this is one of the smallest national parks of the country, it packs in a robust amount of species for the wildlife lover.
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accommodation in Velavadar
Blackbuck Safari Lodge
Blackbuck Safari Lodge is situated near a picturesque hamlet surrounded by water bodies and farm lands. It is just a 10 minute drive from the lodge to the safari gate of Black Buck National Park-Velavadar. The park has pristine grassland where one can have glimpses of wolves, fox, jungle cats and hyenas. The park boasts of the highest number of the winter visiting raptors; the Harrier. Apart from Harriers one can view numerous grassland birds in winters. The beautiful grassland is also a breeding ground for Lesser Floricans in monsoon.
The Lodge, which is easily accessible from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Anand and Bhavnagar, is an ideal location for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and those keen to visit the park. The Lodge is spread over 4 acres of land, abundant in greenery, flora and fauna.
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