Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Indian state of Rajasthan. More specifically, this wildlife sanctuary is situated in one of the oldest mountain ranges of India, the Aravalli range. Aravalli meaning "line of peaks" is a hill system of northern India, which stretches northeasterly for about 350 miles (560 km) through Rajasthan. This range is divided into two sections, namely the Sambhar-Sirohi ranges and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges. It can also be said to be located on a plateau, which is about 19 km in length and about 6 km in breadth. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India is recognized as the managing body of this wildlife sanctuary. In the year 1980, Mount Abu was declared a wildlife sanctuary.
Geography of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Globally, Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary can be pinpointed at coordinates 24 degrees 33 minutes 00 second north and 72 degrees 38 minutes 00 second east. This wildlife sanctuary is spread over an area of about 288 square kilometers. Its elevation ranges from 300 meters at the foot to 1722 meters at Guru Shikhar, the highest peak in Rajasthan. The rocks in the sanctuary area have been identified as igneous and due to the weathering effect of wind and water, large cavities will be evident in them.
Flora of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary has about 112 plant families with about 449 genera and about 820 species. Of these, about 663 species are dicots, whereas about 157 species are monocots. This sanctuary is a home to about 81 species of trees, about 89 species of shrubs, about 28 species of climbers and about 7 species of tuberous plants of medicinal value. This sanctuary is stocked with floral bio-diversity. The forests found in the region are xenomorphic sub-tropical thorn forests in the foot hills and sub-tropical evergreen forests at higher altitudes. Mount Abu is the only centre in Rajasthan, where a variety of orchids will be evident to the visitors. This wildlife sanctuary also holds the population of bryophytes and algae. Around 3 species of wild roses and about 16 species of feras (including some of the rare species of feras) are also housed in the wildlife sanctuary. Bamboo forests have been found in abundance in the south-west part of the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary.
Fauna of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is diverse in terms of its faunal population. More specifically, highly rare, threatened and endangered species are receiving shelter in this sanctuary. In the pages of history of Mount Abu, lion (last recorded in 1872) and tiger (last reported in 1971) are mentioned. Today, leopard is considered to be the apex predator of this sanctuary. Apart from leopard, common mongoose, Indian fox, small Indian civet, sambhar, jungle cat, wolf and hyena are also sheltered in this sanctuary. The sanctuary provides an ideal habitat for the sloth bear too.
Avifauna of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is a home to more than 250 species of birds. A noteworthy example of the bird found in this region is the grey jungle fowl.
Tourism of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Eco-tourism is being promoted in the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary by the Department of Rajasthan Tourism. This sanctuary is ideal for bird lovers, who can indulge themselves in bird watching.
Visiting Information
The time period between February and June is generally considered to be the best time to plan a tour to Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. This time period is known to offer best sighting of the sanctuary to the tourists. The nearest airport to Mt. Abu is Udaipur. This airport is located at a distance of about 185 km. Udaipur is connected to major cities in the country by a number of domestic airlines. The nearest railway station to Mt. Abu is Abu Road Railway Station. This railway station is located at a distance of about 28 km from the main city. It connects Mt Abu with the rest of the country via a number of trains. For a number of important long-distance trains of the Western and Northern Railways, this railway station is a major stoppage. Mt. Abu is located close to National Highway numbers 8 and 14. More specifically, a small roadway connects Mt. Abu to National Highway number 8. This highway serves to connect the city to major cities of India like Jodhpur and Delhi. By road, Mount Abu is well connected to other major cities of the state in which it is situated. The roads in the city are motorable by private cars and taxis.
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Indian Flora and Fauna
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