The exercise to create 'Thar Biosphere Reserve' in western Rajasthan has intensified. With the help of UNESCO, to protect rare desert fauna in a large area, that area will be developed on the lines of the century.
The Forest Department has prepared a project for this, UNESCO will provide funds and technical help for this. A meeting has been held between UNESCO's Country Head Eric Falt and Forest Department Principal Secretary Shreya Guha on this.
There has been a long-standing demand of the Forest Department of the Government of Rajasthan to create this Biosphere Reserve in the Desert National Park located in the Jaisalmer-Barmer region of Rajasthan under UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Program.
UNESCO will provide financial help here by becoming a biosphere reserve. There is not even a single Biosphere Park in Rajasthan at present. Its formation in Thar will give a different identity to the region at the international level.
Along with this, the communities living here will also start getting incentives. Due to this their standard of living will improve.
Shreya Guha, Principal Secretary, Forest Department, informed that the Ministry of Environment and Forests had constituted a task force in 1988 to prepare a project document on Thar Biosphere Reserve.
Proposal for Biosphere Reserve was introduced in 2017. With the implementation of the Thar Biosphere Reserve scheme, there will be no restriction on the livelihood and living conditions of the people of the area.
The proposed areas for the Biosphere Reserve are home to many rare species of animals. Let us tell about them-
Godavan is the state bird of Rajasthan. It is a large-sized bird, found in Rajasthan in India and bordering Pakistan. It is the heaviest bird among the flying birds. Due to its large size, it looks like an ostrich.
Also known as Indian Gazella. The deer-like chinkara is a type of deer found in South Asia. It is found in the grasslands and deserts of India, Bangladesh. It is also found in some areas of Iran and Pakistan.
In summer, the colour of its skin is reddish-brown and the colour of the belly and inner legs is white with light brown. In winter it becomes darker in colour. There is a black stripe in the sides of its face from the edge of the eye to the nostrils.
The edge of which has a white stripe. It has horns. This shy creature keeps avoiding the human population. It can survive for a long time without water. Although it is a solitary animal. But sometimes they are also found in herds.
Shamal Bhring, Ladybug or Gionee is called Dung Beetle in English. It is a beetle that gets its nutrition partially or wholly from faeces.
Steppe Eagle is a bird of the species of hawk. It is a migratory bird in the Nipalensis class of Acciptridi macula, which comes from countries like Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China in different parts of India during the winter season. In India, it comes in non-breeding time.
These birds especially like to live in grasslands, semi-desert, paddy fields and open forests. It is a large bird of prey. They are dark brown in colour. It has white stripes on its flying wings and tail feathers.
It has wings on its feet. Their head is small according to their body size. The upper part of its beak is yellow and its claws are large and yellow in colour. This species of hawk eats freshly dead animals.
Along with this, they also make their prey to rats and rabbits found in the grasslands, squirrels. It is an opportunistic bird of prey, which uses a variety of techniques for hunting.
This bird, while flying up the prey, suddenly strikes it with its strong and sharp claws and takes it away. Sometimes it waits for its prey by standing in front of its bill. As soon as the prey comes out, it catches it immediately.
Houbara bustard i.e. Tilor bird is shy but beautiful and resembles a turkey bird in shape. They fly from Central Asia every year during winters to Rajasthan and Pakistan in India.
Their hunting is prohibited under Wildlife Protection. These light brown coloured birds Houbara have also been included in an international treaty on migratory species of wildlife called the Bonn Treaty.
Sanda is a species of lizard among reptiles. This species is found in India and Pakistan. It is found in patches in the Thar desert in Rajasthan, Kutch in Gujarat and adjoining dry regions.
Sanda is a lizard found in the deserts of western Rajasthan, which plays an important role in the desert food chain. But today it is facing a grave crisis due to superstition and poaching. Due to superstition, this creature is poached in large numbers, as a result of which their population is decreasing rapidly.
Desert This special type of fox is found in the desert land of Rajasthan. However, after camels, menage disease is also spreading among the foxes of the desert.
In the Desert National Park of Jaisalmer, many foxes have been seen suffering from menage. It comes under the category of rare species of wild animals.
