Author: Sunjay Monga
Publisher: India Book House
Year: N/A
Language: English
Pages: 160
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8175082976
Description
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a tropical wilderness within the limits of Mumbai, virtually unknown to most people outside the city. With over 200 stunning photographs, this work is a visual celebration of the forest’s remarkable biodiversity, offering a glimpse into the secret world of its wildlife.
A protected area of almost 9,000 hectares, the park is fringed by a burgeoning population of more than twelve million people and is possibly India’s most visited nature reserve. The park is home to 274 kinds of birds, just under a quarter of India’s avifauna; 42 kinds of mammals, of which the most renowned is the elusive leopard; 150 species of butterflies and nearly 8000 species of other insects; and so much more. It has a floral extravagance of nearly 800 species of flowering plants from humble herbs and woody climbers to sturdy teak trees, and a diversity of habitat types.
A veritable field laboratory teeming with an amazing variety of life forms – much of which has yet to be documented – the forest is threatened by the inherent problem of an encroaching population. An ideal getaway from the polluted city, this peerless wilderness also provide people with a unique opportunity for nature study, and environment and conservation education.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Peerless Wilderness
Life in the City Forest
People and the Forest
Species List
Index
Acknowledgements & Credits