Nannaj

The short trip to Nannaj Sanctuary over a weekend was planned just after the monsoon. The weather was hot and humid. Before we set off, the organizers (Nature India) made it clear: leave your expectations, look ahead with curiosity and cherish nature.
The internal roads are narrow and navigable by SUVs; but in parts of the sanctuary, even the tempo trax found the going difficult. The region consists of open grassland and scrub forests, with undulating plains stretching as far as the eye can see. As city dwellers, we were not accustomed to see such vast expanses of grasslands and the silence made our ears ring. 

But these plains are home to Black Buck and also the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), very few of which now survive. The last census in 2011 indicated a number of just 25 birds.

No sightings of GIB were reported in the past 15 days by the forest rangers and on the first day, we returned without spotting the GIB. Of course not without spotting several more common species.
The next day, we were back. This was our last chance to spot the GIB. Visibility was excellent in the clear air and in the distance was a bird moving slowly and majestically through the tall grass. There was a cry of relief among the group; we had spotted one of the rarest birds in the world. 

How can you help? If you visit Nannaj, do buy an informative CD on the GIB from the forest office. It is available for Rs.120 only and the proceeds will help the department in their conservation efforts.
We hope the efforts of the forest department bear fruit and the bustards thrive and increase in number.