The sanctuary located in Mount Abu was declared as a protected area in the year 1960 and ever since then this sanctuary which is spread over the gorgeous Aravalli range of mountains has been attracting not only domestic tourists but also tourists from overseas. Mount Abu is Rajasthan's only hill station and in the days of yore it used to be the summer retreat of Rajasthan's royalty. Rajasthan Tourism department in recent times have been making rapid strides as far as Eco-Tourism is concerned. These forests are a home to 112 plant families with 449 genera and 820 species. Mount Abu is the only place in Rajasthan where one can observe a variety of orchids. Three species of wild roses and 16 species of feras some of which are quite uncommon have also been reported from here. The South- West part of the Sanctuary is rich in bamboo forests. It was being increasingly felt that the desert destinations of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur etc. .. were oversold in the international tourist market. In a bid to diversify its tourism game plan, the Mount Abu sanctuary together with Mount Abu have been strategically highlighted as an irresistible Eco-Tourism circuit and needless to say, the response has been tremendous. The sanctuary is a biodiversity hot spot and has a rich variety of flora and fauna. Some of the resident animal species include Langoor, Hyena, Indian Civet, Wild Boar, Pangolin, Sambhar, Jungle Cat, Porcupine and Hedge hog to name just a few. In the past the sanctuary also was inhabited by lions and tigers which have now vanished. The lions in particular have moved to Gir Sanctuary in neighboring Gujrat. |
