A reserved forest area in Bhavnagar, Victoria Park is one of India’s oldest man-made forests that is maintained by the government of India. The park covers a lush lands of 500 acres and houses rare fauna and flora species. Lake Gaurishankar is very close to Victoria Park and one can have mesmerizing views of the Lake from the park.
Vegetation in Victoria Park
Victoria Park is a semi-arid zone, it has low temperature in winters and high temperature in summer. As a result, the park has thin and thorny vegetation. 500 mm is the average rainfall in Victoria Park. There are 100 fauna species and 422 plant species here. The total vegetation here comprises of 57.11 percent of herbs and 16.35 percent of trees. Poaceae and Leguminoce are the biggest species of plants here.
Wildlife in Victoria Park
A lush green retreat for the city, Victoria Park is home to antelopes and foxes. The other mammal species that can be spotted here include nilgai, porcupine and hyena. As the park also the Gaurishankar Lake in its vicinity, a number of water birds can also be seen, making it a paradise for bird watching enthusiasts. Some of the colorful avifauna species that can be spotted here include common peafowl, bulbuls, treepei, robins, green bee-eaters, herons, egrets, pelicans, sunbirds, darters, rose-ringed parakeets, spotted owlets, tailorbirds and black-winged stilts.
Although the park welcomes visitors all throughout the day but for best wildlife experiences, you must visit the park early morning. You might spot the mammals grazing around. There is no entry fee for Victoria Park. As the park is not very huge, you can easily take a walk here. There are machans or watchtowers at places so that the visitors can have a great view of the surroundings. The park also has nurseries from where you can buy your favorite plants.
