Jorbeer Conservation Reserve

Introduction

Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is one of its kind vulture sanctuary in India. It is situated at a distance of about 15 km from Bikaner, a city in the Indian province of Rajasthan. The city of Bikaner is an abode to numerous captivating royal residences and fortresses and is one of the most well-known tourist destinations. This vulture sanctuary in India, close-by to such a popular place, is a rare and peculiar birding site across the world. It is actually a dumping ground for carcasses (dead bodies) of animals such as farm animals, cattle, etc, and many people find this place to be unsettling. The remains of the dead creatures dumped here, provide the food for the avian species, predators and consequently draw in their flocks in enormous numbers. Jorbeer has become a typical visiting ground for the absolute most imperiled falcons (such as saker falcons) and various vultures’ species. Despite being an unusual place, this vulture sanctuary in India proves to be a heavenly place to capture such an interesting and endangered species of birds in one’s camera.

Details

Jorbeer happens to be an outskirt area, near the town of Bikaner in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is a tremendously wide territory with a dumping yard for the carcasses of camels and livestock, which one can never overlook. The carcasses of various animals are brought here by lorries (a heavy motor vehicle) and dumped, making this place a haven for the scavengers like Saker Falcons and different species of vultures. Scavengers are usually the animals that feed on the dead animals, thus scavenging (cleaning) the environment. This weird yet worth-visiting place is for the brave-hearted ones and for those who fancy and enjoy the bird watching activity.

The endangered species here include the raptors like Saker Falcon, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, and Egyptian vulture. These species are rare and are difficult to be spotted. Also, we have lost about 99.9% of our vultures due to the usage of an inflammatory drug known as diclofenac. This diclofenac drug affects the kidneys (ultimately leads to kidney failure) of the scavengers when they feed on the carcasses of animals that have been treated with this drug. Hence, the congregation of such magnificent birds is a rare sight that makes this falcon and vulture sanctuary in India must-visit site.