Jorbeer : Where Vultures dare
This Vulture Sanctuary is Situated in the Village of Jorbeer , near Bikaner
History:
Jorbeer Sanctuary, is a dumping ground for the carcass of Cattle and Camels in the district of Bikaner. The sanctuary has the Camel research centre on one side and the City of Bikaner on the other. As there is ample food for the scavengers and as this place is situated in the Migration route of vultures, it is heaven for them, large eagles and Kites . To arrest any encroachment by builders & villagers this area has been declared as a vulture sanctuary
About the Park:
The main park is about 20 Sq. Kms The sanctuary has very limited plantation of Khejri, Salvadora, Ber, Ker and Neem trees , essentially a desert/Scrub land which is fenced .The carcass from the district is dumped in the centre of the park. Approximately 10-30 carcass are dumped from around 40 villages around Jorbeer.
The park attracts a large variety of Raptors like Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, King Vulture, Black Kite, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Indian Spotted Eagle, Imperial eagle, White tailed Eagle etc.
Approximately 2000 Vultures can be found here, the migratory species Eurasian Griffon Vulture comes from Spain and Turkey , Cinereous Vulture from Middle east Asia and Himalayan Griffon Vulture from Tibet & Mongolia.
The Egyptian and King Vultures are Residents of the area
The park also has other smaller birds like Black Drongo, Wheatears, Shrikes and other scrub land species
While the park is best place to shoot vultures, the adjoining area to the park which is a scrub land dotted with Kejri and Ber trees is a good place to shoot the eagles.The pigeons found here are the yellow eyed pigeons and also the Indian Courser can be seen here.
The
Small rodent called the Desert Jerd can be seen here but rarely it is hunted as there is ample food in form of fresh carcass .
The park has few water holes, essentially ponds where water is pumped regularly
The presence of stray dogs pose threat to both birds and the tourists. These dogs are well fed and ferocious. They disturb the birds while feeding and roosting.
The unintentional poisoning of birds through use of diclofenac also had affected the bird population but since the ban of the drug the bird population in the park has gone up.
How to reach Jorbeer
Air: Nearest Airport is Jaipur
Railway Station: Bikaner
Road: From Bikaner about 20 Km
Park Timing:
Open on all days of the year
Summer: 6:00 am to 6:00 Pm
Winter: 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
Recommended Season:
- The park offers various opportunities to observe the behaviour of the wildlife here
- The Migrant birds arrive in October and are usually present till March hence it is called the Season for Jorbeer
- The best time to do Photography here is EVERYDAY.
- The sunset at Jorbeer is magical and if you get a Bird on a perch then you have a lifetime image
Where to stay :
Bikaner offers a lot of Good hotels suiting all budgets
Guide:
The Park is traversed in motorised vehicle. Car rentals are available in Bikaner
Car Rentals : Ramu Ram Godhra : +91 7891639956
There are no guides available at the park.
Caution :
One must be careful of the vehicle to use in this park. The soil is very loose and soft. So the vehicles have a tendency to get stuck. 4 Wheel drives are the best for this park.
The dogs dig themselves large holes in the soil to sleep in. As they hear the vehicle they start running away but the hole they have dug is potential trap for the vehicle. Many a vehicle have got stuck in them for hours.
Park Fees: (they are subject to revision by authorities, kindly check them before planning a trip)
- As of 2016 there was no official park fee. But the plans were on to collect a fee for entry and camera.
- Kindly check with any source or be ready to shell out a nominal amount as fees
Other Area Recommended:
Tal Chappar Black buck Sanctuary ( http://ogaclicks.com/wordpress/tal-chapar)
Tour Operators
Saravanan Janakarajan: +91 9840119078, ogaclicks@gmail.com