The Rann of Kutch
The Rann of Kutch, in western India, is a unique landscape in the Indian subcontinent; with a coastal line on one side and a desert on the other, it can be called neither land nor sea.
The Rann is a vast expanse of salt-encrusted terrain, covering more than 15,000 sq km, in the state of Gujarat, along the border with Pakistan. It is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann, each of which offers its own distinctive viewing experience. While the Great Rann is famous for its spectacular landscapes, the Little Rann is a hub of salt farming.
Despite the inhospitable conditions including the scanty vegetation and the extreme climate of the desert (with temperatures rising to 49 degrees in summer and falling below freezing point in winter), this ecoregion is of critical importance in wildlife conservation as it harbours several animal and bird species that are on the endangered list.
The Rann of Kutch was originally an extension of the Arabian Sea that was closed up by centuries of silting. It was a navigable lake in the time of Alexander the Great, but has subsequently become a seasonal marshy salt desert. During monsoons, the marsh fills up with water and the wetland extends from the Gulf of Kutch on the west to the Gulf of Cambay on the east. In the summers, the water dries to create a bed of white salty land.
The Rann of Kutch is the only place in the world where you can find the wild ass (Equus Hermione khur), a near-threatened species that once roamed over western India, southern Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. But today it is confined to the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary spread out over 4954 sq km in the Little Rann of Kutch. A sandy-coloured or reddish-brown animal with an erect, dark mane and a white underside, the wild ass, know as khur in Gujarati, is one of the fastest Indian animals, with a speed of 70 to 80 km, and can outrun a jeep.
Other animals native to the region include the caracal, the desert cat, the striped hyena, the chinkara, the nilgai, and the blackbuck. Further, the seasonal salt marshes are home to more than 200 bird species, including the threatened lesser florican, houbara bustard and Dalmatian pelican.
During the wet season, the marshes become pink with flamingos. This area is the home for the largest flamingo breeding colony in the world. Millions of these tall, pink birds fly here each year to nest and raise their young.
