Keoladeo National Park

Hello everyone! Welcome to our blog on Keoladeo National Park, a renowned bird sanctuary located in Bharatpur, a city in the eastern part of Rajasthan, India.

The city of Bharatpur, also known as Bhurtpore, was built by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Following Suraj Mal’s demise in 1763, Bharatpur was twice seized by the British. Ultimately, after India gained independence in 1947, Bharatpur became an integral part of the state of Rajasthan.

Initially, the region encompassing Keoladeo National Park served as a hunting ground for Maharaja Suraj Mal. However, in 1956, recognising the ecological significance of the area, it was transformed into a bird sanctuary. In 1981, this sanctuary attained the status of a national park and was named Keoladeo National Park, taking inspiration from an ancient temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva located within the park. Further, it was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Keoladeo National Park is spread over 2,873 hectares of land and is one of the world’s most important bird breeding and feeding grounds. It encompasses grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps and wetlands. These diverse ecosystems are home to 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 species of fish, 13 species of snakes, 5 species of lizards, 5 amphibian species, 7 turtle species and a variety of invertebrates. Among the residents of the national park are birds like Stork, Tufted Duck, Oriental ibis, Imperial Eagle and Spoonbills, and mammals such as fishing cats and blackbuck. Notably, this park holds international importance as a migratory waterfowl destination and a wintering ground for the rare Siberian crane. During the breeding season over twenty thousand bird nests are formed by fifteen species of birds, including Herons, Spoonbills and Storks.

The national park has legal protection under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. As an additional measure to safeguard its precious wildlife, the park is enclosed by a two-meter high boundary wall, minimising the likelihood of poaching activities.

We hope that you liked our blog, and you will consider visiting Keoladeo National Park, a bird haven.

Writen By Anushka Varma & Samaira Wadhwa (The Shri Ram School, Moulsari).

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