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About Kerara Wildlife
Sanctuary
The thorny open country of the Karera Sanctuary houses the haughty
Great Indian Bustard and the equall y
snooty blackbuck. But blackbucks and bustards are not the only
wildlife that roams Karera. There are many other varieties of birds
and animals that have made it their habitat. The Dihaila Jheel here
plays host to many migratory birds.
The status of the Karera is that of the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary
and it was notified in 1981 as a sanctuary. The vegetation is reverie
and swamp with mixed deciduous forests. Ber bushes and other wild
plants are found in abundance. There are no trees except acacia
throughout this forest.
LOCATION
The Karera Bird
Sanctuary is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The sanctuary is a distance of around 55 km from Shivpuri (latitude
25°40' N to longitude 77°44"E) on the Jhansi-Shivpuri main road. There
is a good road network that connects the sanctuary to Shivpuri and
other places in the region.
CLIMATE
The climate of this
region is tropical as in the other places in the Indian plains. April
to mid July are the hottest months. Monsoon reaches this region in
July and remains in force till mid September. Winter months are
November to February. The best season to visit this region is winter.
ATTRACTIONS
Avifauna
There are many migratory birds that settle here in the
season. In fact, experts have recorded a total of 245 bird species in
Karera. There are pintails, teals, and gadwalls snoozing in the sun or
squatting meditatively in the mud. There are resident water birds too
like the black-bellied river terns, egrets, and spoonbills. Other
birds found here are herons, Indian robins, as also insects like
dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies.
Karera is one of the last refuges of the great Indian bustard. As per
expert studies, one can find three types of bustards thrive here, the
Indian bustard, bearded bustard, and coloured bustard.
Wildlife
The blackbuck and Indian gazelle are the prominent habitants
of this open country. Here, out in the tho rny
open country, the blackbucks seem terribly vulnerable. Due to problems
of grazing and subsequent crop loss, the locals started killing the
blackbucks, but after rigorous protection measures by the sanctuary
guards and efforts of environmental friendly organizations, the number
of blackbucks here has been consistently increasing. Now, the
blackbuck population in the sanctuary numbers at around 2000, a
considerable increase from the lowly 100 in 1981.
Other
Attractions
Dihaila Jheel (lake) in
the Karera Sanctuary is the only water source for its inhabitants.
Entirely rainfed, the size and depth of the lake depend on the
monsoons each year. Across the waters lies the Dihaila village whose
inhabitants own and use the land forming the lakebed and whose crops
have benefited from the guano deposits of the birds.
PLACES
NEARBY
Madhav Shivpuri National
Park, at a distance of 45 km from Karera, offers abundant
opportunities of sighting a variety of wildlife. One of the prime
reasons of this park's popularity is the tiger. Other inhabitants of
the Shivpuri forests include leopards, striped hyenas, jackals, jungle
cats, chitals, sam bhars,
nilgais, four-horned antelopes, wild boars, gazelle, sloth bears,
langurs, and crocodiles. Avian inhabitants include bar-headed geese,
ducks, spoonbills, demoiselle cranes, cormorants, painted storks,
white ibises, falcons, purple sunbirds, paradise flycatchers and
golden orioles. Apart from these, the other attractions here are the
George Castle, Sakhya Lake, Madhav Vilas Palace, and Bhadaiya Kund.
The town of Shivpuri at a distance of 55 km from Karera still
maintains its old world charm. Its royal past still lives in the form
of its majestic palaces, hunting lodges, and exquisitely adorned
chhatris (cenotaphs) built by the Scindia's.
Jhansi is known more for its connection with immortal warrior queen of
1857, Rani Laxmi Bai. Situated at a distance of around 44 km from
Karera, the major attractions in the city include the Jhansi Fort and
a museum.
REACHING
THERE
By Air:
Gwalior at a distance of 150 from Karera is the nearest airport. There
are regular flights from Gwalior to Mumbai, Delhi, and Indore.
By Rail: Jhansi at a distance of around 44 km off
Karera is the nearest railway station. Jhansi is a major railway hub
connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and many more cities in
India by several good trains.
By Road: Karera is connected to Shivpuri and Jhansi
by regular buses. It is also connected to Gwalior and other important
cities in the region by a good road network |
