Last week of January 2009, I was in GIR wildlife sanctuary. Located in Junagadh distric in gujarat and spreading accross 1412 sq km of area, GIR is house to the Royal Asiatic Lions. According to official census figures, GIR houses around 300 lions and 300 leopards. Sambar and spotted deer (chital), blue bull (nilgai), chousingha (the world's only four-horned antelope), chinkara (Indian gazelle) and wild boar thrive in Gir. Jackal, striped hyena, jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, langur, porcupine, black-naped Indian hare are among the other mammals of Gir. Apart from these animals, GIR is home to numerous species of birds such as the painted sandgrouse, grey francolin, quails, Asian paradise flycatcher, black-naped monarch, white-browed fantail, Asian brown flycatcher, grey-headed flycatcher, verditer flycatcher, tickell's blue flycatcher, greenish warbler, white-eye, coppersmith barbet, common and marshal's iora, rufous treepie, yellow-footed green pigeon, Long-billed vulture, Indian white-backed vulture, red-headed (king) vulture, Eurasian griffon vulture, changeable hawk-eagle, crested serpent eagle, bonneli's eagle, greater spotted eagle, lesser spotted eagle, tawny eagle, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, laggar falcon, red-headed falcon, oriental honey-buzzard, white-eyed buzzard and other raptors have been seen in the sanctuary. Gir also has brown fish owl, Eurasian eagle owl, spotted owlet. The human inhabitants of GIR are known as the maldhari's. The Maldhars live in traditional settlements called nesses and tend Jafrabadi buffalos, Gir cows and other livestock. Some of them also have camels, sheep and goats. This is the Gist of it all in GIR. My trip was basically to check out the wildlife of GIR and do some basic Photography (which I am happy I could). I was accompanied by my fellow friends Khoosh (a.k.a gundi), Pradeep ( a.k.a gajodhar) and Dr. Chaitanya Shroff. Mr. Suleiman an accomplished photographer in himslef had arranged itenerary for us and his son Mr. Siraj accompanied us through the tour. So we had 2 days and 2 nights filled with fun and thrill and an experience of lifetime watching the most dangerous Predator the Royal Aisatic Lion from a distance of 40 feets peying upon its catch.
