Velavadar Blackbuck National Park (in Bhavnagar district) is one of India’s most unique wildlife landscapes—a vast, golden grassland that feels more like an African savannah than a typical forest. The flat plains are famous for large herds of elegant blackbucks with spiral horns, along with blue bulls, hyenas and a remarkable concentration of raptors, especially wintering harriers that arrive in thousands. Safaris here are all about wide horizons, dramatic skies and the sight of antelope herds running across open grass. The park lies about an hour to 1.5 hours’ drive north of Bhavnagar city, so it works perfectly as a dedicated half-day or full-day outing from town. For Ghoomein, position this as Bhavnagar’s top wildlife and photography experience.
About this place
History & highlights
The grasslands of Velavadar were once a “vidi” hunting estate of the Bhavnagar maharaja, where blackbucks were hunted with trained cheetahs. In 1976 the area was notified as Blackbuck National Park, initially 18 km² and later expanded to about 34 km², to protect the blackbuck and its grassland ecosystem. Today it is globally known for harbouring one of the largest blackbuck populations and for its rare predator–prey dynamic where Indian wolves and blackbucks are regularly seen in the same open landscape.
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