Keoladeo National Park

Keoladeo National Park, known locally as Ghana, is a 29 square kilometre wetland reserve in eastern Rajasthan. In 1899 the Bharatpur State turned the area into a duck-shooting ground. Salim Ali, the ornithologist, campaigned for its protection, and it was declared a bird sanctuary in 1956, a protected sanctuary in 1971 and a national park on 10 March 1982, and it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

The park is a patchwork of dry grassland, woodland, swamp and seasonal wetland on the edge of the desert, with a managed wetland that holds water for wildlife and protects Bharatpur from flash floods. At least 400 bird species have been recorded, with huge numbers of migrants arriving in winter from colder parts of Eurasia. It also supports about 50 mammal species, 70 reptiles and amphibians, 20 fish and nearly 400 plants.