LESSER KNOWN WILDLIFE
Main Attractions: Indian Flying Foe, Grey Musk Shrew, Indian Hare, Pale Hedgehog, Small Indian Mangoose, Small Indian Civet, Indian Pangolin, Indian Porcupine, Ratel, Indian Fox, Jackal & Wildcats
Gir is generally associated and identified with Lions and
Leopards. However, Gir has also got a 'biodiversity rich wilderness' with
many wonderful smaller animals, visible only if one cares to observe more
keenly.
In the dry deciduous tropical forests of Gir, the seasonal variation in
vegetation is more severe than probably in any other life zone. A host of
small mammals exploit treetops for food. Another varied population of
small mammals, scurry about the forest floor, eating shrubs and herbs,
looking for roots and foraging for fruits and seeds which drop from the
trees. Dense thickets, fringed with glades of lush grass, provide home to
countless small life forms. The Gir plains also support a wide range of
small plant eating animals that usually escape our attention.
Ever square kilometre hides a profusion of wildlife, some big and mostly
small. They range from the large mammals to smaller ones, from reptiles to
birds to the countless, but nonetheless equally fascinating insects and of
course the variety of plants that give Gir its distinctive flavour.
'CAT'ALOGUE
Gir forest is inhabited by three smaller wildcats - the
Jungle Cat, Desert Cat and the Rusty Spotted Cat. The attempt in this park
is not just to save the Lions, but the entire kingdom of the Lions.
JUNGLE CAT
The Jungle Cat is the most widely distributed of all the three wildcats
found in Gir, mostly occupying deciduous, thorn scrub and riverine areas.
Rarely have they been sighted in grassland areas. With long legs and a
rather short tail ringed with black, the colour of its fur varies from
sandy grey to yellowish grey. The Jungle cat frequents by day, usually in
the mornings and evenings. Very swift and string for its size, it is
capable of bringing down fairly large prey.
DESERT CAT
The
Desert Cat is rare to sight, observed in flatter dry deciduous scrub or
thorn scrub forest areas. Easily distinguished by its spots, this cat is
not much larger than domestic cats and has pale yellow fur marked with
black spots. The end part of the tail is also ringed with black. Very
little is known about the habits of this cat, except that it lives in
deserts and scrub jungle, where its prey consists mainly of Gerbils and
other small rodents and birds.
RUSTY SPOTTED CAT
The Rusty Spotted Cat was recently discovered in Gir and Girnar, though
in earlier wildlife records, it was reported only in the Dang forests and
south of it. It inhabits thorn scrub to dry deciduous forests with flatter
to gently undulating terrain in GIR. With head and body length of just
0.3m it is one of the smallest cats in the world! A Western Ghat animal of
the forests and scrubland of southern India and Sri Lanka, it hunts mostly
at night.
COMMON OR HANUMAN LANGUR
Langur is a common name for Indian long tailed, slender monkeys that are
commonly found even outside the protected areas. Langurs are arboreal
(tree dwelling) animals that live in troops and feed on a variety of
vegetation. Langurs have eyes set at the front of the head, giving them
binocular vision and the ability to judge distance and depth.
Found in smaller to larger troops, langurs usually occupy top and middle
canopy of dry deciduous, mixed deciduous and riverine forest areas. They
inhabit flat to gently sloping terrain and banks of the streams. When on
the forest floor, they are seen foraging along with Chital and Peafowl.
Their local movements usually coincide with flowering, fruiting and new
flush of leaves in trees. In India, Langur are considered sacred, and
troops of the animals sometimes feed undisturbed on crops.
STRIPED HYENA
This strange looking animal with an uneven gait is usually seen either
singly or in pairs. Unlike Instead of killing their own prey, most of the
time they prefer to feed on carcasses. They inhabit dry deciduous,
riverine areas, ravines and streams, and often close to human habitation.
The hyenas attack in packs at night ripping open the flanks of their prey
and carry off the carcasses. They also take on the mighty Lions and are
eternal enemies. 
JACKAL
Jackals, usually move in pairs, occupying riverine areas and water holes,
mixed deciduous, as well as open thorn scrub and grassland areas. Being
from a dog family, they possess a deep chested and compact muscular body
for endurance and lungpower. The feet are adapted to the long pursuit of
prey and the search for food over hard ground. The jackal is nocturnal in
areas inhabited by humans, but may be active during the day in areas where
it is not harassed.
RATEL OR HONEY BADGER
Ratel is a small mammal that resembles the Badger in size, shape, and
habit, but is more fierce and aggressive. It is also very secretive and
one should consider oneself lucky if one spots them at Gir. The Ratel is
omnivorous (animals that eat both plant and meat), that feeds on Honey
Bees, Fruits, and flesh of small animals. They live in wide variety of
habitats such as mixed deciduous and teak forests, open rocky country and
sometimes riverbed areas.
INDIAN FOX 
The fox is the smallest member of the dog family, which also includes
Wolves, Jackals, and Dogs. Foxes are characterised by short legs, an
elongated narrow muzzle, erect triangular ears, thick fur, and a long
bushy tail. However, foxes are rarely seen in Gir.
INDIAN PORCUPINE
The Porcupine is a unique herbivorous rodent with long, pointed spines,
or quills growing from the back and sides of its body, and distinct crest
of stiff bristles on the head and shoulder. Porcupines are usually
solitary but may be found in pairs. They are mainly nocturnal in habit.
Besides its usual diet, Porcupines also gnaw at bones and dropped antlers
of Deer.
When alarmed or provoked, they erect their spines, grunt and puff, and
rattle their hollow tail quills. But their method of attack is peculiar.
The animal launches itself backwards at great speed and drives it erect
quills deep into the offender with very painful and at times even fatal
results. Quills damaged in action or from other causes are replaced. Some
Leopards like Porcupine's meat and specialise in killing them without
getting injured. All other animals steer clear of this animal armed with
such a deadly weapon.
INDIAN PANGOLIN
Pangolin,
also known as the scaly anteater is a common name for certain mammals that
are almost entirely covered with brown, horny, overlapping scales. The
Pangolin's thick, prehensile tail makes up a large part of its body. For
protection while sleeping, or when frightened, the pangolin curls up into
a tight armoured ball, exhibiting an enormous muscular power that defies
an ordinary attempt to unroll it.
SMALL INDIAN MONGOOSE 
The Mongoose has a tapered head, long tail, short feet and a sleek body
covered with long and silky soft hair. The colour is usually olive brown,
which makes for a good camouflage. Being diurnal (active during the day)
it rests at night in a burrow dug by itself. During the day it hunts for
food, treading the same paths consistently and keeping in cover of
vegetation.
The mongoose is best known for its ability to kill even the largest and
most poisonous Snakes. It is not immune to poison, but its swiftness and
quick reflexes allows it to seize and kill poisonous Snakes such as the
cobra.
SMALL INDIAN CIVET
The small Indian civet is a furry mammal that looks somewhat like a long,
slender Cat, but has a more pointed snout, a fluffier tail, and shorter
legs than a cat. Civets use their tails to grasp branches and to steady
themselves while climbing trees. Civets live within a specific territory.
They move about chiefly at night. They live alone, except for females and
their young. They take shelter in holes or under rocks or rest in grass or
under bushes.
PALE HEDGEHOG
A Pig like snout and habituated to stay in hedges gives this animal its
name. They are similar in appearance to the Porcupine, but more closely
related to the Mole and Shrew. The distinctive feature of this animal is
its ability to curl up into a ball of bristles that no one dares to touch!
If handled, it throws its back up with a sudden jerk to drive the spines
into one's fingers. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals that come out to feed
at dusk and retire at the break of dawn.
GREY MUSK SHREW
The Grey Musk Shrew is a Mouse like mammal, related to the mole, with a
long, pointed snout, depressed ears and soft, grey brown, velvety fur
distinguishing them from rats. Shrews are active, nocturnal animals that
scurry about constantly in search of food. They are known to eat Mice
equal to their own size.
INDIAN HARE
The
Hare has perfected the art of staying still. It is surprising how even the
keenest eyed predators fail to detect their prey when it is motionless. In
fact, freezing in their tracks seems to work even without camouflage. The
Indian Hare has colouration that blends well with the surroundings of Gir.
Yet, it has many predators. Jackals, Wild Cats and even Mongoose prey upon
them. In Gir, there have been records of crocodiles coming out of their
watery domain to catch a Hare.
INDIAN FLYING FOX OR GREATER FRUIT BAT
The largest of the Indian Bats, they are so named because of their long,
Dog like muzzles. The Indian Flying Fox is from the Bat family and is the
only mammal capable of sustained flight. In all, 850 to 900 species of
bats exist, far more than in any other mammalian order except the order of
total abundance. Places where bats roost during the day, called
'Colonies', are huge and can contain tens of thousands of members. When
they fly out to feed, it is not unusual to see them endlessly flying
overhead to their feeding grounds.
The Indian flying Fox can fly very long distances and have an uncanny
memory for the location and fruiting time of trees. Bats are known to
frequent the same feeding area over a long period of time and move from
one place to another in search for food with relative ease.
