Black-buck and endangered others - Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Amidst the widespread Thar Desert of western India is a small yet key wildlife sanctuary which is known for keeping black bucks in their natural habitat – yeah the same ones who got some of the who’s who behind bars!! Today, I take you on a trip to this beautiful reserve in Churu District of Rajasthan – Tal Chhapar Wild Life Sanctuary. This wildlife reserve is located around 130 kilometers from Bikaner; the divisional headquarter for Churu District. Tal Chhapar is actually geographically a flat saline depression locally called a “ tal ”, which makes it a unique ecosystem in midst of a vast desert. This confluence of varied environmental factors makes it an ideal place to provide a natural habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. The entire wildlife sanctuary is developed on over 700 hectares of land. I had a chance of visiting this protected land twice during the tenure of our stay in Bikaner as our abode. One of them was a family visit during April of 2011 when the summer heat was co...