Keoladeo National Park, also called Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is a protected area in Rajasthan, India. The park is home to thousands of bird species, including those that live there year-round and those that travel from faraway places in Eurasia to escape cold winters. At least 400 different bird species have been recorded in the park.
The area was first created as a duck hunting reserve in 1899 by the leader of the Bharatpur State. In 1956, a bird expert named Salim Ali helped change it into the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. It became a protected area in 1971 and was officially named Keoladeo National Park on March 10, 1982. Because of its wide variety of bird life, the park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park includes a man-made wetland that provides water for animals in this dry region. The park also helps protect nearby villages from sudden floods and offers grazing land for local livestock. In the past, the area was mainly used for hunting waterfowl. The 29 km (11 sq mi) reserve is known locally as "Ghana," a mix of dry grasslands, woodlands, swamps, and wetlands located near the edge of a desert.
Because of its central location where deserts meet tropical areas, Keoladeo Ghana National Park has high biodiversity. In addition to hundreds of bird species, the park is home to at least 20 fish species, 70 reptile and amphibian species, 50 mammal species, and over 60 types of Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths). More than 1,000 invertebrate species and nearly 400 plant species have also been documented there.
History
Keoladeo National Park was created on March 10, 1982. Before this, the area had been a private duck shooting preserve owned by the Maharaja of Bharatpur since the 1850s. In 1976, the area was named a bird sanctuary, and in October 1981, it was recognized as a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention.
In 1985, Keoladeo National Park was added to the list of World Heritage Sites under criterion iv. The reason given was that the park is a "wetland of international importance for migratory waterfowl. It is the wintering ground for the rare Siberian crane and home to many nesting birds that live there all year." When the criteria for World Heritage status were updated in 2005, the park met the requirements under criterion (x), which states that a site must "contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-site conservation of biological diversity, including those with threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation."
Geography
Keoladeo National Park is located 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south-east of Bharatpur and 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of Agra. The park covers an area of about 29 square kilometers (11 square miles). One-third of the park is a wetland, which includes mounds, dikes, and open water areas with or without submerged or floating plants. The upland areas have grasslands with tall grasses and scattered trees and shrubs in different densities. Similar habitats with shorter grasses, such as Cynodon dactylon and Dichanthium annulatum, also exist. Woodlands with dense clusters of large Kadam trees (Neolamarckia cadamba) are found in scattered areas. The park’s plant life includes 379 species of flowering plants, 96 of which are wetland species. The wetland is part of the Indo-Gangetic Great Plains.
Water in the park is found only in certain low-lying areas. The natural cycle of wetting and drying helps support the ecology of the freshwater swamp, which is ideal for waterfowl and resident water birds. Systems are in place to pump water from deep tube wells into small depressions to protect seeds, spores, and other aquatic life. These systems are especially useful during years of severe drought.
Climate
In 1988, the average highest temperature varied between 20.9 °C (69.6 °F) in January and 47.8 °C (118.0 °F) in May. The average temperature ranged from 6.8 °C (44.2 °F) in December to 26.5 °C (79.7 °F) in June. The daily temperature change varied between 5 °C (41 °F) in January and 50 °C (122 °F) in May. The average relative humidity changed from 62% in March to 83.3% in December. The average yearly rainfall was 662 mm (26.1 in), with rain falling on about 36 days each year. During 1988, rainfall totaled 395 mm (15.6 in) over 32 days.
Ecology
Piloo, which includes two types of plants called Salvadora oleoides and Salvadora persica, can be found in the park. These plants are the only woody plants that grow well in areas with salty soil. The park also has a wide variety of aquatic plants that serve as an important food source for animals that live in or near water. Between 2007 and 2008, efforts were made to remove non-native plants such as Prosopis juliflora and some invasive plants from the Cineraria genus.
Macro invertebrates, such as worms, insects, and mollusks, are the most numerous and diverse group of organisms in the park. These creatures are mostly found in water and are an important food source for fish, birds, and other animals. They play a key role in the food chain and help the ecosystem function properly. Insects that live on land are also common and support the nesting and feeding habits of land birds.
Keoladeo National Park is an important place where many birds travel to during the winter. Common waterfowl species include the gadwall, shoveler, common teal, cotton teal, tufted duck, knob-billed duck, bar-headed goose, little cormorant, great cormorant, Indian shag, ruff, painted stork, white spoonbill, Asian open-billed stork, oriental ibis, darter, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper, greater flamingo, spot-billed pelican, great white pelican, demoiselle crane, and sarus crane.
Over 370 bird species have been recorded in the park. The park is especially important for birds because it serves as a stopover for migratory birds traveling to the Indian subcontinent and for birds that later travel to breeding areas in the western Palearctic region. The park was also a wintering area for the Siberian crane, with the last known group of these birds arriving in the winter of 2001–2002. Other birds found in the park include warblers, Old World babblers, bee-eaters, bulbuls, buntings, chats, painted francolins, quails, Indian grey hornbill, and Marshall's iora. Birds of prey in the park include osprey, peregrine falcon, Pallas' sea eagle, short-toed eagle, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, spotted eagle, and crested serpent eagle. The greater spotted eagle is known to breed in the park.
The park is also home to a wide range of mammals, with 27 identified species. Primates such as rhesus macaques and Hanuman langurs live here. Hoofed animals include nilgai, chital deer, sambar, blackbuck, Indian hog deer, and wild boar. Other mammals occasionally seen include the Indian porcupine, small Indian mongoose, and Indian gray mongoose. Cat species in the park include jungle cats, leopard cats, and fishing cats. Other carnivores include the Asian palm civet, small Indian civet, Bengal fox, golden jackal, striped hyena, and smooth-coated otter. The park is also home to many species of rats, mice, gerbils, and bats.
The park has a diverse group of reptiles and amphibians. Seven of the ten turtle species found in Rajasthan live here. Five lizard species, including the monitor lizard, and thirteen snake species, such as pythons, kraits, cobras, and Russell’s viper, are also present. Seven amphibian species, including bullfrogs and skipper frogs, live in the park’s wetlands.
Constraints
In November 1982, grazing by about 2,500 cattle and domestic water buffalo was stopped. This decision caused local people to feel upset, leading to an attempt to enter the park by force. Police used weapons, and eight people were killed. Tensions remain high in the area. Without grazing, plants such as Paspalum distichum, a type of grass that grows in water, have started to block water channels, creating management challenges. The Rajasthan government refused a plan from the Bombay Natural History Society to allow some grazing because it would break the law. Additionally, the large amount of animal waste left by livestock likely helped support many insects.
About 700 wild cattle live in the park, which worries officials because these animals compete with wildlife for food. In June–July 1986, larvae of the moth Parapoynx diminutalis caused serious harm to the plant Nymphoides cristatum. High pollution levels in Ajan Bund are thought to be the reason for more birds that eat fish being found in a confused, unable-to-fly condition. Fewer birds were seen in 1984 compared to earlier years. In 1988 and early 1989, four sarus cranes and 40 ring-necked doves were found dead near the park, possibly because of pesticide use. Studies are being done to learn how pesticide use in nearby areas and heavy metal pollution affect the park. Visitors can also cause problems, especially in December and January, when many come to see the cranes.
Scientific research and facilities
From December 1992 to January 1995, a joint project involving the Governments of India and Russia, the International Crane Foundation, and the Wild Bird Society of Japan was created to help protect the Siberian crane. The project included releasing cranes that were raised in captivity into the wild, following the migration paths of common cranes, and increasing the number of cranes that live in the park year-round. Even though the project did not achieve all its goals, the survival of the released cranes has provided hope for creating a stable population of cranes in the park in the future.
Crisis of 2007
In 2007, a severe drought caused serious damage to Keoladeo National Park and its plants and animals.
The Government of Rajasthan proposed a plan to provide water to Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur. This proposal was sent to the Planning Commission, as advised and approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in a letter dated April 10, 2008. According to the MoEF, the plan is outside the scope of an existing government program, but it is considered a good idea and could solve the long-term water shortage in Bharatpur National Park.
Keoladeo National Park is a Ramsar Wetland Site and a World Heritage Site. Due to a severe lack of water, the park’s ecosystem has suffered, and fewer migratory birds have arrived in recent years. Water is essential for the park, which is a wetland and a Ramsar site that has faced a serious water shortage for several years. Currently, the park receives water from rainfall, a temporary reservoir called "Ajan Bund" through the Dakan canal, and a small canal that brings water from the Khokhar Weir (Bees Mora). The total water needed for the park is estimated at 14.17 million cubic meters. However, the water supply from Ajan Bund is inconsistent and depends on the reservoir reaching a level of 8.5 meters. In recent years, the supply has often been insufficient or stopped completely.
The project was designed to provide 400 million cubic feet of water to the park from late July to August for 30 days. This water would be taken from the Yamuna River’s floodwaters. The plan involves moving water through underground pipes during the rainy season over a 16-kilometer distance from the Goverdhan drain near Santruk village. The estimated cost of the project, as proposed by the state government, was 650 million rupees. The plan would use water from the Goverdhan drain to meet the park’s water needs during July to September. Key parts of the project include building a gate to control water flow at the drain, constructing a reservoir to hold 13,000 cubic meters of raw water, building three pump houses, installing power generators for the pumping station, and laying and testing pipes made of PCC and MS materials.