Description:
The dwelling f the King of Animals, the majestic lions is what Sasan Gir is famous for. The Gir National park, located at an hours distance from Junagadh is the last refuge of the Asiatic lion on Earth. It is Spread over 2450 hectares, and offers visitors the best in flora and fauna.
Sasan Gir Lion sanctuary is definitely one of India's success stories. From a pitiful number of around twenty lions at the turn of the century there are now approximately three hundred lions in the park. Best visited from December to April, the visitors can have a better look if they drive through the park in Jeep. Although the Asiatic lions of Gir, incredibly awe inspiring animals, are supposed to be used to human presence it is always better to be cautious. Best time to view this animal is during early daytime or late in the night.
The chinkara, wild boar, striped hyena, jackal, common langur, porcupine, hare and the black buck also share the Jungle with the lions of Gir.
As visitors pass through this park, they can view rivers making their way through the lush green thick forests. The main attraction of the park is park the. It is also home to over 200 species of birds including the peafowl, grey partridge, Boneli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, jungle bush quail, painted sand grouse, common green pigeon and several species of doves. The other attractions are the leopard population in the Jungle which is the most in any part of India and the crocodile breeding farm. But by and large, it is the Lion that makes your visit to the park worthy.
The Kankai Mata and Tulsishyam are two temples inside the jungle and are famous for their natural hot spring tanks.
The tribal life of the Siddis is also a major attraction of Gir. These Siddis are supposed to be of some African breed, and are believed to be brought here by a ruler of Junagadh as slaves and they stayed back. Now they have adopted the language and the dresses of the locals and it is only their body and face that differentiates them from the rest.
