Photo Courtesy Gujarat Tourism

Bordering on the barren salt-plains of the Little Rann of Kutch, Desert Coursers Camp is a most restful establishment, offering accommodation in traditional Bhunga (or Kuba) huts with thatched roofs.

Zainabad, one of the 562 aforementioned formerly independent kingdoms of India, covers just under 45 square miles. The manager of Desert Coursers is Malek Shri Sabir Khan, who is also the talukdar (hereditary ruler) of the princely state of Zainabad, and is apparently much loved by the locals. His family has been in the district for over 700 years. Mr. Malek’s grandfather Zain Khan Malik moved to what was then the village of Kalada in 1903, and the village was later renamed after him.

“The Little Rann of Kutch is the most desolate place on earth,” says Malek. “When you’re in the desert, you feel as thought you’re standing in the middle of a plate. You can hear the silence. There’s not a stone, not a tree, nothing at all…just the horizon, stretching for 360 degrees.”

Malek is also a talented naturalist. He explains a little about the endangered Wild Ass, the khur species of which is found only in the Little Rann of Kutch. “The wild ass is the only animal that can survive in these harsh conditions,” he says. “It can survive on forage that wouldn’t sustain even a goat, with a conversion rate of food to energy of over 95 per cent.”

Photo Courtesy Gujarat Tourism

The numbers of wild asses in the Little Rann is now around 5,000 – up from a mere 257 back in 1960. This is largely due to the proclamation of the Little Rann of Kutch as a wildlife sanctuary in 1973. The “family” structure of wild ass herds could also be a factor in this great rise in numbers. Each male rules a harem of up to fifty females. If another male intrudes, there will be a fight to the death, the combatants using their teeth to rip great shreds of flesh off their opponents.

In the southeast of Gujarat, Sasan Gir lion sanctuary is an enthralling place. Visitors are often surprised at being able to get so close to the animals in the wild. Especially animals with fangs, claws and a definite bloodlust.

The Sasan Gir Safari Park (a 16 square kilometer enclosure within the much larger Sasan Gir National Park) is home to leopards, wild boar, a dozen species of snakes, antelope and the last remaining Asiatic lions.

In 1913, a mere 18 lions remained in Saurashtra. But the numbers have slowly risen, so that today there are about 360 lions and 300 panthers. And, judging by the large proportion of cubs to be seen, the future looks rosy indeed. For accommodation, Sasan Gir Birding Lodge is excellent.