Velavadar National Park

Located seventy-two km away from Bhavnagar and spread over an area of 3,408 ha, Velavadar National Park was primarily a vidi (grassland) of the Maharaja of Bhavnagar. It has been classified as 4B Gujarat-Rajwada biotic province of semi-arid bio-geographical zone. On the southern border of the Park, is the high tidal zone of the Gulf of Khambhat, whereas wastelands and agriculture fields surround the other sides.

Blackbuck National Park Velavadar located in the Bhal region of Saurashtra is a unique grassland ecosystem.known for successful conservation of the blackbuck, the wold and the lesser florican. Once found in open plains throughout the country and the state of Gujarat, its largest population at present occurs in Velavadar National Park. This exclusively Indian animal is perhaps the most graceful and beautiful of its kind. It has ringed horns that have a spiral twist of three to fours turns and are up to 70 cm long. The body's upper parts are black and the under parts and a ring around the eyes are white. The light brown female is usually hornless.

Wildlife Attractions in Velavadar National Park

The ecosystem of the park houses four distinct habitats, grassland, shrubland, saline land and high tidal lands. One of the most thrilling sights in the area is the unusual mating rituals of the blackbuck, which involves a spectacular vertical leap of upto 2 mts by the male.

The park is home to over 187 species of birds including residents and migratory birds such as Harrier, Partridge, Pelican, Duck, Crane, Stork, Eagle, Sand Grouse, Lark and Lesser Florican.

Besides the blackbuck, other commonly found mammals include the Nilgai, Wolf, Wild Cat, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Boar, Porcupine, Hare and Rodent, while the reptile kingdom constitute of Saw Scaled Vipers, Common Cobra, Krait, Rat Snake and Sand Boa.

The area was a private vidi (grassland) of the ex-princely state of Bhavnagar, which was subsequently declared as reserve forest and notified as National Park. About 1788.88 ha of area was declared as National Park in July 1976 and an area of 1622.23 ha was further added by notification in the year 1980. Today the total area under the National Park is 3408 ha. The settlement procedure has been completed.

Due to the presence of the high tide zone of the Gulf of Khambhat on the southern side, a portion of the Park gets inundated with water. Its semi-arid conditions, together with this inundation of sea- water during monsoon, create habitats, on which depends varied fauna of the Park for survival.

Air: Nearest airport is Bhavnagar (72 kms).

Bus: Nearest bus station is Vallabhipur (32 kms).

Train: Nearest Railway stations are: Dhala - 52 kms., Bhavnagar - 72 kms.

Best Season to visit Blackbuck National Park: Monsoon to Winter is good period to visit the Park.

Accommodation near Blackbuck National Park: Boarding and lodging facilities are available in the rest house of Forest Department. A tourist lodge is also available near the National Park