Wild Ass Sanctuary

Wild Ass Sanctuary - Little Rann

Some places in the world are known for lush greenery, others for steep cliffs and snowy glaciers and others still for refreshing water lapping against hot beaches.  But of all the landscapes in the world, harsh deserts are perhaps the one that fewest people have experienced. Believing it to be not as pleasant as other landscapes, many people miss out on the tremendous beauty found in deserts. Precisely because there are very few people, visiting deserts like the Little Rann of Kutch which gives a traveler the chance to ponder a world before there were so many of us around. Only after hours blanketed by the deep silences that fall on the salt flats in the middle of the day, when the only sound is the wind scraping along the sand, can you appreciate the sounds that emerge in the evening, the birds singing, insects chirping and the scuffle of small animals rustling in the brush. Only after looking out at the unending flats do you appreciate the greenery and rich wildlife that congregates on the beyts or islands that rise up out of the Rann. And only after getting to know the desert do you begin to understand a secret, that the beauty of life lies hidden in even the most seemingly desolate of places.

By road: The Wild Ass Sanctuary is 130 km from Ahmedabad, 45 km from Viramgam, 175 km from Rajkot and 265 km from Bhuj, accessible from all of these by ST buses. By rail: The Nearest Railway stations are: Dhrangadhra - 16 kms Ahmedabad - 130 Kms Rajkot - 175 Kms The Sanctuary has three main access points: Dhrangadhra, Range Bajana, and Range Aadeshwar. Range Bajana is the best place to enter in the winter as the wetlands that house migratory birds are closest to it. Dhrandgadhra is the easiest place to find transportation and accommodation (there is a government guest house, as well as private ones).