Anubhav for Class V

Little Rann of Kachchh- The Outdoor Lab

WILD ASS SANCTUARY – LITTLE RANN OF KACHCHH is the only place in the world where one can spot Asiatic Wild Ass in its natural habitat. The Asiatic Wild Ass locally called Gudkhur is endemic to this place, means they are found only in the Little Rann of Kutch. Besides the Wild Ass, mammals like the Blue Bull i.e. Neelgai, Chinkara, Black Buck may also be easily spotted. Then there are carnivores like the Wolf, Jackals, Foxes, Jungle cats and Desert Cats.

Little Rann of Kachchh is rich in the population of migratory birds too. There are Flamingos, the state bird of Gujarat that throngs the marshes and the cranes that add life to the desolate Rann. On a bird watching trip, one would be able to spot large number of waterfowl, waders, raptors and ground birds such as Larks, Sand Grouse and the endangered Hubara Bustard. In all, over 300 different species of birds may be spotted here. The students would get a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of Little Rann region during their stay. The sunrise and the sunset present a spectacular sight in the wilderness of the Rann.

Learning Opportunities

Our country, its surface: The Little Rann of Kachchh is considered to be a unique eco-system with its mud deserts and it is ideal to tell the children about the diversity our country and its surface. A visit to the interiors of the rann would give the participant a fare idea about the vastness of the region. Once part of the sea, this area still holds lot of elements for interpretation. Children will be able to study the effects of major changes happened to the earth because of activities like earthquake, continental shift, tectonic movements etc. The facts like the surface of our country is not uniform and the variations from the high mountains of the Himalayas to marshy desert of Little Rann of Kachchh can be described with little properties.

Islands: The concept of island – surrounded by waters from all the sides may be changed when the students actually visit one of the small bytes (islands) in the Little Rann of Kachchh. The islands here are formed only during the monsoon, when the entire area get denudated, later on they look like large mud platforms surrounded by the vastness of the desert. Few hours spent here would help them understand the concept in detail. They will also discuss the how people still manage their daily affairs though isolated from the mainland.

Weather and locations: The location of a place affects the weather of that place. It is because of different locations and surface types that the weather in different parts of India is varied. These variations affect the life of the people, their living styles and their costumes – the people of Kashmir wearing coats, people of Gujarat preferring cotton dress materials, people of South India wearing dhoti etc -. The students would experience the typical wind patterns – from land to sea during the night and from sea to land during the day – and understand the reasons behind them.

Image Gallery Class V