Tal Chhapar Sanctuary

Tal Chhapar is located on the edge of the great Indian Thar Desert and is a unique refuge for the most beautiful antelope found in India - the Black Buck. Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, with its almost flat terrain and sporadic shallow, low-lying areas, is open grassland with scattered trees of Acacia and Prosopis, giving it the appearance of a typical savannah.

Location

The sanctuary is located in Sujangarh tehsil of Churu district in the north-east of Rajasthan. The sanctuary is located on the Nokha-Sujangarh state highway at a distance of 85 km from Churu, 120 km from Bikaner, 354.6 km from Delhi and 208.2 km from Jaipur. The nearest railway station is Ratangarh 37 km away. The nearest airport is Jaipur International Airport.

Legal status and extent

The area was declared a 'Reserved Area' in 1962 under the Wild Animals and Birds Act 1951 (Game Sanctuary as per Entry of Game Sanctuary 1958) and protected as Sanctuary under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Apart from the notified sanctuary land, 78 hectares of unclassified forest land has been acquired and is currently under sanctuary administration.

Flora and Fauna

Tropical Thorn Forest Subgroup 6B/C-Desert Thorn Forest and the dominant species of this forest are Khejri, Jal and Desi Acacia. The sanctuary area is mostly covered with grass with very few and sparse trees of Prosopis cineraria, Salvadora spp., Ziziphus spp. (Ber), Capparis sp. (Ker), Azadirachta species, etc. Grasses found in the area are Sevan, Doob, Dhaman and Lampla, Lana, Moth etc. The area becomes green during the rainy season but dries up again during the summer season. It is home to about 17 species of mammals, 293 species of native and migratory birds, 12 species of snakes, 4 species of lizards, etc. The dominant species in the sanctuary is the black buck (Antilope cervicapra). Apart from black buck, desert fox, rabbit, wild cat, chinkara, a variety of local and migratory birds especially raptors also visit the sanctuary every year. As per the census conducted during 2021-22, the estimated number of black buck (Antilope cervicapra) in the sanctuary is 4223 A special drive was launched to eliminate the spread of Prosopis juliflora and save the grassland. Water management activities in the sanctuary are very well planned and done as per the need.

Tourism

Tourism for bird watching is increasing in Chhapar, with guest houses and homestays coming up nearby. About 15,000 tourists visit the sanctuary every year. Online booking has started at Talchappar from May 2023. Online booking of safari routes has also started, in which tourists can book their safari through the forest department website.