A few kilometres beyond the city of Bharatpur in Rajasthan is one of the most unique and beautiful natural habitats in India as its rich and abundant vegetation, swampland and numerous small ponds make it an ideal habitat for birdlife.

The wetlands of the Keoladeo National Park are home to a large number of rare and almost extinct birds, yet surprisingly what is now a nature reserve was originally designed to be a hunting area. In the nineteenth century the maharajas of Bharatpur exploited the animal-rich area and organized extensive hunting expeditions during which thousands of birds were shot.

As it is now an officially designated national park, Keoladeo is a vital sanctuary for the protection of both indigenous and non-indigenous birds. Indeed, one of the world’s rarest birds, the Siberian Crane, also visits this remarkable nature reserve.

Without the former rulers of Rajasthan who protected what is now the Keoladeo National Park, this landscape would certainly not be as well preserved as it is today: conservation at its most beautiful!