Prelude
Velavadar in the Bhal region of Saurashtra is a unique grassland ecosystem that has attracted fame for the successful conservation of the Blackbuck, the wolf and the lesser Florican. The park spread over an area of 35 sq.kms, its grassland, the greenery and the quadrupeds are visible as far as the eye can see.florican.
Major attractions The park has more than 1,000 Black Buck that can be viewed on the open grassland from very close range, though they are very shy in the presence of humans. 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 four turns and are up to 70 cm long.
The body's upper parts are black and the underparts & the ring around the eyes are white. The light brown female is usually hornless. The wolf and the jackals are the main predators in the park. Wolves here use shrub land for lying, dinning and for rendezvous and depend on blackbuck, hare and other small animals as their prey.
Another rare sight is that of the lesser Florican, which migrate and settle here to breed in the grasslands. After arrival, the male bird marks the territory and displays to attract the female. The courtship display of the male is a spectacular vertical leap up to a height of two meters and may display over 500 times in a day! Velavadar is also an excellent place to see a large number of harriers. The Park is very rich in other birdlife as well.
How to reach Nearest airport is Bhavnagar airport. But all flights are direct to Mumbai. The park is about 65 Kms from Bhavnagar city, 315 kms from Rajkot city, 170 kms from Ahmedabad 45 kms from Vallabhipur Bus Stop.
Best time to visit The beauty of the best explored during the months of - October to March.