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Wild Ass Sanctuary

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This 4953-sq-km sanctuary covers a chunk of the parched land of the Little Rann and is the home of the only remaining population of the Indian wild ass (khur), as well as wolves, blackbuck and chinkara. There’s also a huge bird population from October to March (this is one of the few areas in India where flamingos breed in the wild). Guides will arrange your permits for the reserve; the cost of these is normally additional to safari prices.

About 2500 khurs live in the sanctuary, surviving off the flat, grass-covered expanses or islands, known as bets, which rise up to around 3m. These remarkable, notoriously untamable creatures are capable of running at an average speed of 50km/h for long distances.

Easily accessible from Ahmedabad, the sanctuary can be visited in a combined trip with Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Modhera and Patan.