Desert National Sanctuary

The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar desert and its diverse fauna. Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, inter medial areas and fixed dunes which are quite suitable for the chinkara to move at high speed. The black buck is another common antelope of this region. Its other notable inhabitants are the desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf and desert cat.

Sudashri forest post is the ideal place for observing the wildlife of Desert National Park and is the most suitable in the entire 3162 sq. kms. of this park for watching and photographing the activities of the animals from behind cover.

Birdlife in this sandy habitat is vivid and spectacular. Birds such as the sandgrouse, partridges, bee-eaters, larks and shrikes are commonly seen. Demoiselle crane and Hobard arrive in the winter. The birds of prey seen here are tawny and steppe eagles, long legged and honey buzzards, falcons and kestrels. But the most outstanding of the avifauna is the great Indian bustard. This tall, heavy bird is an epitome of confidence and grace. It is good to see five or six bustards near Sudashri water hole.

Entry Requirements
All visitors to Desert national sanctuary need to pay an entry fee of Rs 100 per person and for jeep, car fee is Rs.100 and for coach fee is Rs. 200

Accommodation and other facilities
Fortunately for tourists, accommodation is not a problem in Jaisalmer. The town (not the park) has a number of guest houses, forest lodges and hotels, including some luxurious heritage properties.

Besides the accommodation in the town, there are two forest lodges and two restaurants within the park. The restaurants are however, extremely basic and it’s advisable to bring your own food if you plan to spend the entire day within the park. To learn more about the hotels click here.