Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary
Sariska, in Rajasthan, the erstwhile royal preserve of the rulers of Alwar,
became a sanctuary in the year 1958. The sanctuary came under the Project Tiger
in 1979 and became a national park in 1982. It is located at Kankwari fort,
near Alwar, on the Delhi - Jaipur Highway. The terrain is predominantly hilly,
as it lies in the Aravalli range. It has total area of 788 sq. kilometres, with
a core area of approximately 474 sq. kilometres. The beautiful Siliserh Lake
runs along the edge of the reserve, with a quaint hunting lodge overlooking
it.
At
last count in 1985, there 35 tigers were reported. Other carnivores of the area
are the panther, jungle cat, jackal and hyena. Three caracals were also reported
during the last census in 1985. Other animals include the sambar, chital, wild
boar, hare, nilgai and umpteen porcupines.
Good Time for Visiting : November to June – very dry summers make
June good for game viewing although hot.
Nearest Town : Alwar (36 Kms.)
Nearest Airport and distance to the Sanctuary : Jaipur (110 Kms.)
Nearest RS and the distance to the Sanctuary : Alwar (36 Kms.).
The birdlife comprises of the pea fowl, gray partridge, quail, sand grouse,
tree pie, white breasted kingfisher, golden - backed woodpecker, crested serpent
eagle and great Indian horned owl.
Magnificent ruins peppered around the neighbourhood of Sariska add to the
region's fascination. The Neelkanth (Shiva) temples (6th-13th century AD)
are just 32 kms from the Park and the ancient Kankwari Fort inside the Reserve,
is where Emperor Aurangzeb once held his brother Dara Shikoh captive. A beautiful
palace complex built in 1902 has been converted into a hotel.
FOREST TYPE
The
types of forest seen are :
i. Dry mixed deciduous forest.
ii. Secondary dry deciduous forest.
iii. Anogeissus pendula forest. (Dhok)
Tropical thorn forest.
Anogeissus pendula is the dominant tree species. Covering over 90% area of
the forest. Boswellia serreta and Lannea coromandelica grow over rocks. Acacia
catechu, Bamboo clumps are common in valleys some valleys support Butea monosperma
and Zizyphus species. Terminalia arjuna, Commiphora wightii, Sterculia urens,
Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia arjuna, Commiphora mukul.
The ridges support salar on steep dry slopes. Dhok is the dominant tree species
of gentle to moderate slopes constituting over 90% of the tree canopy. Khair
(Acacia catechu) and cheela (Strychnos potatorum) occur in valley beds. Bamboo
grows to a limited extent along moist and cooler parts. Aam, jamun, arjun,
and bahera, which grow in moist depressions and on nallah banks, attain large
sizes. The ground cover is mainly ber, gargen, adusa and dycostic singeris.
Zizyphus and Grewia are good fodder species. The dried and fallen leaves of
dhok help the herbivores to tide over the fodder scarcity during summer months.
WILDLIFE
Sambar, Cheetal, Wild board, Blue bull, Jackal, Hyena, Jungle cat, Tiger,
Panther, Caracal, Rusty spotted cat, Four-horned antelope.
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India Wildlife Tour 
