Emerging trends of ecotourism in threatened Tal Chhapar sanctuary of India

Abstract

Rajasthan State forest covers an area of 32.638.74 Sq. km. which is 9.54 percent of the total geographical area of the state. Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the enclaved area enlisted by Wildlife Department Rajasthan. Tal Chhapar is located on the fringes of the Thar Desert covering an area of about 17.19 Sq Km. It is an abode to thousands of migratory bird species. The region represents a salty area which is being massively covered with Dichanthium lasiurus that is the chief food for Antilope cervicapra. This natural abode is presently under threat and necessary steps are must to maintain the rich biodiversity. This sanctuary needs to be upgraded to Ecotourism Blackbuck Sanctuary by adopting sustainable practices. The paper presented here is inspired to address the influence of ecotourism with the locals of Sujangarh area. There is a need to implement realistic ecotourism practices to enrich the biodiversity and livelihood of indigenous people.