Day 4 The Asiatic Wild Asses plus

Our alarm went off at 5.15 am and we got ourselves ready for a game drive in the Little Rann of Kutch. Lead by Hator, we climbed into a Gypsy at 6.00 am and drove through the village of Desada and onwards with the ground becoming increasingly salty and the bushes more and more thorn scrub.

Once we had reached the Wild Ass Reserve we followed crispy, salty tyre tracks across the flat landscape (reminiscent of the Nai Pans or Maghadighadii in Botswana) looking for wildlife.

Eventually we found 3 photographers (the only other people we saw all morning) parked near a fox's den, waiting for the mother to return to the pups hiding in a hole in a bank. Shortly afterwards we spotted the mother and moved closer to her, watching her digging for grubs. Back at the hide, we were able to watch a pup emerge on the bank.

Later we moved on, searching for wild ass. Came across a herd of young males but they were skittish and moved off. When a larger herd appeared we approached fairly closer, stopped and watched them, and then had breakfast at the same time. Eventually we walked towards the herd and they allowed us to get really close before breaking into a run. Ir was great!

Then it was on to visit the salt workers and watched them operating at their pans, skimming the salt crystals off the top of the salt beds by hand and tractor..Read more