The Little Rann of Kutch (LRK)

Published: 22nd November 2021 at 5:31 am. Posted in Blog.

About the Little Rann of Kutch:

The Little Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary, commonly known as LRK, is a unique habitat comprising of saline desert plains, thorny scrubland, arid grasslands, wetlands and marshes. In the dry winter season it becomes a huge desolate desert and during the monsoon the arid desert plains become one of Indias largest wetlands.

Wildlife of LRK:

LRK is one of India’s largest reserves, covering almost 5000 square kilometres. It is famous for being the largest breeding ground for lesser flamingoes in India and the the last refuge for the endangered Asiatic wild ass.

LRK is also home to a wide range of mammals including chinkara, blackbuck, nilgai, Indian wolf, golden jackals, striped hyena, desert and Bengal foxes, jungle cats and more.

 

Birds found here include a wide variety of raptors such as peregrines and hobbies, steppe, imperial, and short-toed eagles, montagu and pallid harriers, bustards, flamingos, pelicans, storks, cranes, sand grouse, coursers, plovers, shrikes.

The best time for birding on the Rann is in the winter which runs between October to March. 

Little Rann Specialities:

Indian Wild Ass

The Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur) is a handsome chestnut-brown and white member of the equus genus, native to Asia. They are also known as the Indian onager, Ghudkhur, or simply ‘Khur’ in the local Gujarati language. Khur are found in Saline deserts (rann), arid grasslands and shrubland.

The Indian wild asses range once extended throughout Western India, Southern Pakistan, Afghanistan, and South-eastern Iran. Today, its last refuge is the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India. 

The first wild ass census was completed in 1940, when there were an estimated 3,500 individuals. However, from 1958-1960 the wild ass became a victim of a disease known as surra, which caused a dramatic population decline and the figure fell to just 362.

At this point it was classified as critically endangered and a major conservation effort began to save the Indian Wild Ass from extinction. In the years that followed, the Little Rann of Kutch and adjoining districts were designated as a Wild Ass Sanctuary that covers an area of 4954 km².  The number of artificial water holes were increased in the area, and a project began to increase the available food.

The current census of 2015 puts the Indian wild ass population at more than 4,800 individuals and it is now listed as Near Threatened by IUCN.

Lesser Flamingo

The Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) is one of the largest breeding grounds for Lesser Flamingos in India. 

Lesser flamingoes are the smallest species of flamingo, standing at 80-90cm tall and weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kg. Aside from size, the clearest difference between this species and the greater flamingo is the much more extensive black on the bill. 

Lesser Flamingoes feed primarily on algae which grows only in shallow saline lakes. Although blue-green in colour, the algae contains the photosynthetic pigments that give the birds their pink colour.

Flamingos have a distinctive downward-curved bill which filters food of various sizes using complex rows of hair-like structures called lamellae. The Lesser Flamingo has such a dense filter that it can sift out single-celled plants less than two-hundredths of an inch in diameter!