Desert National Park
Desert sand dunes and patchy scrub stretching to the horizon at sunset. Desert National Park (DNP), Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India.
Desert National Park (DNP) :
Desert National Park (DNP) is an extremely hot and arid area in North western India that covers an area of 3162 km². DNP has incredibly low annual rainfall, getting less than 100mm per year. Classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, DNP is part of the wider Thar desert that stretches over 200,000 km2 and forms the natural boundary between India and Pakistan. The Thar desert is the most densely populated desert in the world with an average population density of 83 persons/km² (compared to 7km² of other deserts) However, within the National Park the density drops significantly to 4-5 persons per km².
The barren landscape of the DNP consists of sand dunes, thorny scrubland and a few rocky hills in the north-western region. Despite this seemingly inhospitable habitat DNP is home to important reptile species such as the Toad-headed Agama, Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard, Dwarf Gecko, Persian Gecko, Desert Monitor and the Saw-scaled Viper. More than 100 bird species have been recorded in DNP including the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. Mammal species include chinkara, desert fox, Indian Fox, desert cat, hairy-footed gerbil, desert hare, the long-eared hedgehog and much more.
You can find out more about DNP here.