Chinkara, the Indian Gazelle in Desert National Park Jaisalmer
We traveled across the vast Desert National Park, while on our way to Jaisalmer from Mt. Abu via Barmer. This wild life sanctuary is home to Blackbucks, Chinkaras, Desert foxes, Bengal Foxes, Indian Wolves, Desert Cats, Hares, etc.
The endangered Great Indian Bustard is the major attraction of Desert National Park of Jaisalmer and I was hoping to spot at least one. But all I could spot were some peacocks, peahen with its chick, Indian Gazelles, and Blackbucks.
Desert National Park is in tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites list in Category: natural since May 2009.
My eyes were scanning the vast desert stretches to spot at least some more rare breeds. At one place I thought I saw some of deer and asked the driver to halt. The driver almost instantly screeched to a halt frightening the poor animals away. And I just got this one shot. They seemed to be Chinkara, Indian Gazelle.
Chinkara Indian Gazelle
Thus we learned our first lesson: halt gently.
Another 50 km of drive and we spotted another small group of Chinkaras. They could sense us even from that long distance and were alert. Constantly wagging their tails, the nervous Chinkaras were frequently glancing at me to assess what I was up to. I clicked and clicked till they walked out of sight.
Chinkara in Desert National Park Jaisalmer
Three handsome Chinkaras
stood gazing at me,
one got bored
and walked out of sight.
Their smooth, glossy, reddish-buff summer coat fur shined. This shade of fur color helped them hide and camouflage well in its surroundings and the predators. Their white bellies were a contrast to their skin color. The faces had distinct dark chestnut stripes from the corner of the eye to the muzzle.
Two handsome Chinkaras
stood gazing at me,
one got scared
and walked out of sight.
Chinkara in Desert National Park Thar Desert
One handsome Chinkara
stood gazing at me
He said: come on shoot
I know it is just a lens!
Related post: Jaisalmer Places to Visit and Things to Do.
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Nature ‘As Is’ captured.. Great Photographs!
Nice photos , the poem reminds me ‘Ten little soldiers ‘
Your captures are as beautiful as ever. 🙂
Nice shots and poem.Lovely description.:)
Cheers,
Sriram & Krithiga
Hi Indrani! Nice pics, more so because it’s so difficult to keep animals from moving away the moment they see a camera pointed at them. And I love the way you’ve built the story with a number count. Am going to Rajasthan on a trip next month – will keep my eyes peeled for such sights. ciao.
Beautiful pictures. And the way you have described your experience makes it an awesome read.
lovely captures
So cute….
Awesome clicks. It’s amazing that you captured the right moments on your camera. Keep it up!
So naughty they(chinkaras) look ! How amazing the God’s creation is ?!
Beautiful shotsm
Very beautiful captures!
Love the pictures and the rhyme
saw so many but always elude the camera..
we can see a large number of chinkara in Deer Park , Delhi Hauz khas. we can ask more to salman Khan about Chinkara .Haha
Superb shots, quite adventurous 🙂 I like it!
Beautiful shots and lovely commentary 🙂
what a lovely creature… I got a glimpse of it in Ranthambore 🙂
Lovely pics In 🙂
Awesome captures 🙂
Sure they look handsome…Nice pics.
what a great pictures, thanks
What a fabulous post Indrani.:)
Great to see a hum of poem in pictures.
Loved them. Their movements and their look towards you. Truly enjoyable snaps.
your commands are pretty to the post and pictures. Lovely deers 🙂
Great pictures!
Lovely shots, and nice verse, Indrani
lovely captures…. i love wild life and thanks for sharing…
geee i need to head for the woods !
these are great!
I love your little story about 3 chinkaras. It so reminds me of a childrens story book or even the doodlebug song that is in 3 year old’s sing along book. 🙂
I’m glad you were able to get some shots with more careful braking techniques.
This is so interesting, and you have presented it so nicely. Nice photographs.
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Great that the chinkaras inspired verse!
Amazing creatures! It’s the first time I see the Indian gazelle – never even thought there was one such! My favourite type of post on your blog… you know how much I love nature and wildlife!
They are beautiful creatures. It must be a great adventure going to a park like that.
It’s funny… you mention you startled them the first time and only got one shot – I love that first shot!
Sometimes you can get it right the first time 🙂
That’s not to say the others aren’t great… they are!
Their grace is unmatched! good pix!
Indrani, hope you don’t mind, but I’m nominated you for the Sisterhood Award, you can read about it on my blog.
Amazingly cooperative models you had here! I’m usually a step behind when it comes to wildlife, still trying to focus the last shot and they’re already into the next.
Nicely done!
i liked the first pic.
they’re such graceful creatures! and I love the one that played along til the end
very artsy creature
Never seen these before. Thank you so much for sharing!
The last one is too curious to live too long. Sorry!
Lovely pics there 🙂 So lucky to see such beautiful wildlife!
Thanks for stopping by my blog too. One of her poems I read recently stirred a memory of school and reading the poem before..That was ‘Goblin Market’ I discovered recently. It could be that one you mentioned!
🙂
wow i don’t think i’ve ever seen these! beautiful.
havent seen so many at one place…..still to explore wild life of Rajasthan…..nice captures
Nice captures….these clicks reminded me off a chinkara reserve in Muzzafanagar district of Western UP, there one can see lots of them…..
I love the attitude of the last chinkara! Well done to get such great shots on the hoof. (sorry, couldn’t help myself!)
I love the words that accompany the photos of the Chinkaras. Nice shots!
Those are some great shots of beautiful critters. I love the way you counted them down at the end. Too cute.
These are absolutely gorgeous shots! They are so sweet and beautiful and I agree with Babooshka, such fragile looking creatures! Thanks for these and thanks as always for stopping by my blog. I’ve finally got you on my list of blogs that I try to ready every day. Enjoy your day!
What a beautiful sweet creature this is. So fragile. Marvellous captures.
I bet those Chinkaras can run!
What amazing animals… they are just so graceful!! A fun post you have here!
What handsome animals! Makes me wonder how they can outrun predators on those delicate-looking, impossibly thin legs!
🙂 I loved your poem! Must be awesome to just get in a jeep and drive among the wildlife. Good for you!
Happy Critturday!
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Very beautiful animals that I had never seen. Nice post.
Very nice photos. I enjoyed the narrative, too! 🙂
Beautiful. Thank you!
Ur blog is complete photo tour of Rajasthan,
excellent pics
chinkara – the gazelle – now I have never got to the bottom of this. Chingari is what? though i hum the old KK song all the time, i have not figured out what the word meant.
What beautiful, delicate creatures. Thanks for the photos.
What a happiness that they are still remained not moving. LOL
What a luck that they were silent.
And they thought that you would shoot. HEHE
The camera does not hurt,but the Chinkaras don’t now that 😉
What a lovely shots…,what is the nature still beautiful :))))
Thanks for sharing !!
Have a nice weekend (@^.^@)
These are very interesting, i love there horns, and they are so sleek
Those are such great shots. I wish we lived in an area to see wildlife like that. Thanks for sharing from your part of the world.
Wow, great photos. I love seeing animals I don’t normally see.
Mine is up over at Feather, Fur and Fins