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Asola
Wildlife Sanctuary
 Best Time
: Nov - Feb
Nearest Main Town : New Delhi
Main Animal Attractions
: Blue Bull, Blackbuck, Civet, Mongoose, Jackal, Porcupine, Hare
and jungle cat
Getting there : A short half-hour drive from the center of the
city. Taxis, buses, auto rickshaws, etc. also possible
Accommodation : None at the
park itself. Best options are in New Delhi or at the very popular picnic
resort named Surajkund located adjacent to the sanctuary
Eating Facilities : Restaurant at
Surajkund, restaurants in town, and local roadside "dhabas"
Shopping Facilities : Most
requirements available at a fifteen minute drive from the sanctuary
Communication
Mobile phones work within the sanctuary only near the entrance
and along the boundary
Asola Wildlife Sanctuary is considered the breathing lung of the
cosmopolitan city of New Delhi. It was established in 1992 with the aim
to protect the wildlife in the area between Delhi and Surajkund (Delhi-Haryana
border). New Delhi, January 21: TWO nilgais were rescued in South Delhi
yesterday, and both have been released safely into the Asola Wildlife
Sanctuary. The rescue was carried out by a joint team of the Delhi
Wildlife Department, the Delhi Zoo and NGO Wildlife SOS.
There was some confusion initially, as calls were received
simultaneously from RK Puram and Saket, about a large deer roaming the
streets. It was only later that the rescue team realised that there were
two nilgais roaming through Delhi at the same time.
Asola is more popular among wildlife buffs for its bird population than
for its
animals. The number of species found here are said to be in the region
of 200. Some of these are Bee-eaters, Cormorants, Egrets, Grebes,
Falcons, Partridges, Quail, Peafowl, Waterhens, Lapwings, Sandpipers,
Woodpeckers, Doves, Parakeets, Cuckoos, Owls, Nightjars, Barbets,
Swallows, Shrikes, Orioles, Drongos, Mynahs, Flycatchers, Warblers,
Babblers, Wagtails, Pipits, Buntings and Muniahs among many others. One
of the birds that I saw very rarely in other parks but saw many of in
this sanctuary were the Indian Robins. Shrikes were also seen at various
locations. The beautifully coloured Bee-eaters also gave us great
company. Just before it began to rain during the first visit, a raptor,
which I suspect was a Shikra we also sighted. The nicest sighting of
them all however was a rare and really close encounter just before
exiting the park, of a complete family of Grey Partridges lying on the
vehicle track itself. I say rare as I was able to watch them for quite a
while from close range without them scampering off into the bushes like
they almost always otherwise do. I saw a total of around 80 species
spread over the three visits lasting approximately three hours each.
Asola has its fair share of wildlife but is more popular for its winged
residents and visitors. Among the wildlife found here, some are the
Nilgai or Blue Bull, Common Mongoose, Small Indian Civet, Small Indian
Mongoose, Jungle Cat, Flying Fox, Porcupine, Palm Squirrel, Spiny tailed
Lizards, Rufus Tailed Hare and Monitor Lizards. While walking around in
this wonderful area, one can only wish one had been able to see this
area when animals like the Leopard, Hyenas, Wolves and Chinkaras roamed
freely in this region till the 1940s. The sanctuary also now has two
large enclosures for their very successful Blackbuck and Chital or
Spotted Deer conservation, rehabilitation and breeding programmes.
During my three visits there I got to see Nilgai, Mongoose, Hare, Jungle
cat pugmarks and discarded quills of porcupine. I also obviously visited
the blackbuck and spotted deer enclosures.
What to
Wear
Earthy coloured clothes (greens and browns). Can get extremely
dry and hot in summer months. Cap with sunshade. Be extremely warmly
clad for early morning drives into the park in the winter months.
Important to Carry
Any specialised batteries for cameras etc, binoculars, water to
drink in summers
Temperatures : Winters (can go down
to 2 degrees celcius)
Summers (can go up to 45 - 47 degrees celcius)
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