Jorbeer Conservation Reserve A Heaven for Vulture Lovers Part one

Jorbeer Sanctuary, is a dumping ground for the carcass of Cattle and Camels in the district of Bikaner. The sanctuary has the Camel research centre on one side and the City of Bikaner on the other. As there is ample food for the scavengers and as this place is situated in the Migration route of vultures, it is heaven for them, large eagles and Kites . To arrest any encroachment by builders & villagers this area has been declared as a vulture sanctuary
The main park is about 20 Sq. Kms The sanctuary has very limited plantation of Khejri, Salvadora, Ber, Ker and Neem trees , essentially a desert/Scrub land which is fenced .The carcass from the district is dumped in the centre of the park. Approximately 20-40 carcass are dumped from around 40 villages around Jorbeer.
The park attracts a large variety of Raptors like Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, King Vulture, Black Kite, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Indian Spotted Eagle, Imperial eagle, White tailed Eagle etc.
Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is only 10--12 kilometre from Bikaner city.Now it is also known as IBA(Important Bird & Biodiversity Area). As I told that seven species of vultures are available here, biodiversity wise this place is heaven but for tourism point of view
this is not developed. You need to carry your water and food from nearest city Bikaner. Jeep compass or Renault Duster kind of SUV is the best choice to explore Jorbeer Conservation Reserve.
Jorbeer is situated in the south-east of the city in the desert district of Bikaner in Rajasthan state. It is a conservation reserve and is an important grassland habitat. This area is an ideal habitat for herbivores and grassland birds and is an important area for vultures and migratory birds. This area of protected forest block has recently been declared “Conservation Reserve” under the provision of Section 36A of Wildlife Protection Act,1972 . This Conservation Reserve spreads over an area of 56.26 Sqkm and is important site from vulture point of view. The landscape has vegetation composed of grasses and desert plants interspersed with very scarce trees here and there. The vegetation includes mainly
"Sewan" (Lassiurus sindicus),
"Bui" (Aerva tomentosa),
"Kair" (Capparis decidua) and
"Kheep" (Leptadenia pyrotechnica),
Phog etc.
The interspersed trees of
Prosopis cineraria,
Salvadora,
Aacacia nilotica and
Zizyphus numularia
and widely encroaching Prosopis juliflora
break the monotony of grasses.
The area is abode to many herbivores and carnivores like, Chinkara,
Blue-bull,
Wild boar,
Desert fox,
Jackal,
Desert gerbil,
Spiny-tailed lizard and
Monitor lizard.
This area is mainly famous for large congregation of migratory and resident vultures.
Seven species of vultures reported from the area are –
Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus),
Himalayan griffon (Gyps himalayensis),
Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus),
Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus),
Long billed vulture (Gyps indicus),
Red-headed vulture (Srcogyps calvus) and
White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
First three species of vultures are migratory and
believed to come from Mangolia, China and Himalayas.
Total peak population of Eurasian griffons is more than2500
and the resident species
gryptian is next in order of abundance.
All the migratory vulture species start arriving in October
start departing in March.
The peak population of these species
can be observed in December and January.
They spend whole winter in this area and feed on carcasses dumped here by Municipal Corporation every day.
Carcasses dumped here are mostly of
cow, buffalo, goat, sheep and camel but now it is becoming a dump site of fishes and poultry wastes as well.
Apart from vultures this place harbours a good population of other raptors like,
Steppe eagle,
tawny eagle,
Laggar falcon,
kestrel,
long-legged buzzard,
shikra,
black kite,
black shouldered kite,
Tawny eagle and
imperial eagle.
Heavy biotic pressure, train track passing very close to dump site, good roads,
feral dogs, poultry and fish waste dumps,
poisoned carcasses are the important threats to the vulture
and other scavenging species.