Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass Safari

The Little Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh of roughly 5,000 square kilometres spread across Surendranagar, Patan, Kutch and neighbouring districts, protected since 1972 as the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary. It is the last refuge of the khur, the Indian wild ass, a stocky chestnut equid that survives nowhere else on earth and now numbers in the several thousands after decades of recovery. From Ahmedabad the usual approach is a two to two-and-a-half hour drive of about 130 km west to Dhrangadhra or Bajana, both of which have camps and permitted safari operators; Dhrangadhra is also a station on the Ahmedabad-Kutch railway line, so arriving by train and being met by a pre-booked jeep works well. Safaris run in open 4x4s across the cracked white flats between low grassy islands called bets, where the wildlife concentrates. Wild ass are the headline and are usually seen within the first hour, often at a canter; nilgai, chinkara, Indian fox, desert fox, jackal, jungle cat and occasionally striped hyena share the habitat. Birding is outstanding in winter, when shallow water lies on the pans and draws greater and lesser flamingos, common and demoiselle cranes, pelicans, and a remarkable density of raptors including several harrier species that roost communally in the grasslands. The human landscape is just as striking: agariya families work the salt pans through the dry season, pumping brine into shallow squares and raking crystallised salt by hand in conditions of extraordinary harshness. The season runs roughly October to March, since the monsoon floods the Rann and makes it impassable, and the best light and wildlife come on early-morning and late-afternoon drives. Dust is constant, so a scarf, sunglasses and a sealed camera bag are worth packing. Permits and vehicles are far simpler to arrange through a camp than at the gate.