SULTANPUR BIRD SANCTUARY 
Just
46 kms south-west of Delhi, in Gurgaon, Haryana, is the Sultanpur Bird
Sanctuary. Spread over 400 acres, it is home to a variety of resident and
migratory birds which come here to breed and nest every winter. The most
common visitors are migratory geese, the Siberian crane, the demoiselle
crane, the ruddy selduck, pelicans, flamingos, bar-headed geese, grey lags,
gadwells, mallard, pochard, shoveller and teal. Local species include the
plover, the red-wattled lapwing, herons, cormorants, white ibis, spoonbills
and the painted stork.
Sultanpur was converted into a bird
sanctuary thanks to the efforts of Dr. Salim Ali. For the serious bird
watcher, it has hideouts, watch towers and even a tiny museum. Apart from
birds, the sanctuary is also home to the neel gai and other varieties of
deer. The best way to observe the wildlife is to take a walk around the lake
in the winter months.
DACHIGAM
NATIONAL PARK Dachigam National Park enjoys a proximity to the
beautiful city of Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir state. Its
forests and picturesque landscape have always attracted tourists. The park
is divided into two large sectors-the Lower and Upper Dachigam regions with
altitudes of 1700 and 4300 meters, respectively. Two steep ridges enclose
the parks parameters. The landscape at Dachigam varies from deep ravines,
rocky ridges, steep slopes and alpine pastures. The Masrar Lake, in higher
Dachigam, is at the mouth of the Dachigam River. The river is regarded as
the lifeline of the park, for its winds through Lower Dachigam region from
its originating point, thus replenishing the entire lower region. The park
is home to the endangered hangul or the Kashmiri stag, the only species of
red deer to be found in India. Various efforts are being made to save this
rare and beautiful species.
Apart
from its unspoiled natural beauty, its most important wildlife remains the
hangul (Kashmiri stag), an endangered species of red deer. Despite its
substantial harshness, the winter season is the best time to view the
hangul, when it gathers in the shelter of the lower valleys. The leopard,
which is the only predatory animal in the area, has been rarely spotted. It
is the same with the hard-to-pin-down snow leopard found in the higher
altitudes. However, tourists with resilience, patience and a little luck
have had the fortune of seeing these unique wild cats. Apart from the hangul
and the two varieties of leopards, various other species like Himalayan
black bear, musk deer, Himalayan marmot and species of wild goats like the
makhor are found at Dachigam. Various exotic Himalayan birds, colorful
pheasants like the crimson tagopan, monal pheasant, blood pheasant and
koklass pheasant, golden eagles and bearded vultures (lammergeier) are also
seen encircling the beautiful blue skies above Dachigam forest.
