Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary covers 7,506.22 square kilometres of the Great Rann of Kutch, making it the largest in India. Declared in February 1986, it is one of the biggest seasonal saline wetlands, with water usually 0.5 to 1.5 m deep. By October or November the rainwater dries off and the land turns to salt desert. Water birds and many mammals live here, and the ancient Harappan city of Dholavira lies near the flamingo breeding grounds.

The northern edge is the border with Pakistan and is patrolled by the Border Security Force; beyond the India Bridge at Kala Dungar near Khavda, entry needs special BSF permission. In that zone, several hundred square kilometres of the Rann turn white and flat with salt in winter. The Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of Khadir, Kuvar and Pachchham islands contain fossils of plants, sea creatures, dinosaurs, crocodiles and whales.