Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Tickets, Photos, Timings

 For nature lovers, birdwatchers and wanderers it might be really claustrophobic to always witness the big buildings and constructions. Given the present day situation everywhere all we can notice is big buildings and large structures. Especially in cities like Delhi everywhere there is suffocation through the narrow lanes and streets. But what if I tell you about this beautiful Wildlife Sanctuary in the middle of South Delhi amidst the bustling city? Yes the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi is one such location where you can enjoy being engrossed in nature.

So if you are in Delhi or around you must visit the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Here in this article I will share everything about the sanctuary that will be helpful for you to plan a successful trip to this sanctuary. Furthermore according to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary reviews I don’t think you should be missing out on this natural beauty. So keep on reading.

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

Location: Shooting Range Road, Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, Tughlakabad, New Delhi

Timings: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary timings are 6 am to 2 pm on all days except Monday. Mondays are holidays.

Ticket price: There is no ticket price to move around the Sanctuary.

How to reach Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

By Air

The nearest Airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport at a distance of 22 km. From there you can take a cab or a car to reach the wildlife sanctuary in about 45 minutes.

By Road

If you are travelling from Delhi itself, it would be better to reach there via a cab or a car. You can drive through the city to reach there.

By Metro

The Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary nearest metro stations are Tughlakabad Metro Station, Badarpur Metro Station, Sarai Metro Station, Mohan Estate Metro Station and the Sarita Vihar Metro Station. All the stations are around 3 km away from the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

What is the best time to visit Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

This is like a year round destination so you can basically visit here anytime of the year. You can however avoid the summer months because the heat would be little too much to take. However, if you are visiting here early in the morning then that can be a good option. The months between October to March can be called the ideal time though because of the pleasant weather at that time. Furthermore during these months you can observe many baby animals and baby plants here. Also a lot of migratory birds visit here during these months. So if you are interested in bird watching you can consider these months to visit the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

About the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

This beautiful wildlife sanctuary is located in the midst of the Aravalli Hill Range. One cannot even imagine the presence of such a rich wildlife sanctuary in the lanes of crowded Delhi. Established in 1986, the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary sprawls across an area of 6874 acres. However, three villages Asola, Maidan Garhi and Shapur are located within the sanctuary itself.

Furthermore the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is a very important part of the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor. This starts from Rajasthan’s Sariska National Park and after passing through various districts of Haryana meets Delhi Ridge. The Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is also considered as one of the richest Bird Sanctuaries in Delhi as it still houses many endangered and rare species of birds. Furthermore the sanctuary also houses many medicinal plants as well. It is currently under the Conservation Education Centre (CEC) Delhi. CEC is very active in engaging and imparting conservation based knowledge to professionals as well as students. Many field based activities and educational programmes are carried by them from time to time.

Read More : BHADRA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY RESORTS, TIMING, PHOTOS, BOOKING, SAFARI

Additionally this Wildlife Sanctuary is also a perfect spot for bird watching as well. At present the sanctuary is a protected area according to the guidelines of the Forest Department. Furthermore a number of heritage sites and tourist spots are actually located inside this sanctuary as well. The list includes the famous Chhatarpur Temple, Surajkund, Tughlaqabad Fort, Adilabad Ruins, Anangpur etc. Along with that a dozen lakes are found inside that have formed due to the abandoned open pit mines around the Sanctuary.

History of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

The name of this sanctuary is derived from the Asola Village that is currently located inside the sanctuary along with 2 more villages. Previously the area of this sanctuary was known for illegal mining of sand and stone. As a result of that many open pits were left open and abandoned which were later turned into lakes. At that time the area was known as Bhati Khani.  Until 1986 the legally protected status of the Southern Hills was not given. Later the Bhati land comprising 2167 acres and the community lands comprising 4707 acres of Asola, Maidan Garhi and Shapur villages were recognized. Furthermore in 1991, this area was officially given the status of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

Biodiversity of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

Flora

Some of the plant species found here are Flame of the Forests, Indian Elm, Jand, Dhok, Giloy and more. This sanctuary houses some really unique plant species. Also the forest cover in this region actually protects the area from floods as well.

Fauna

The Asola Bhatti is one of the places where you can find a really rich habitat for animals. You can find Indian leopards here. Furthermore endangered species like Egyptian Vulture and Red Headed Vultures are seen here. This sanctuary was also a centre for Vulture Conservation done by the Haryana Government. Some near threatened species like White faced Ibis, Painted Stork, European Rollers etc are also found here. Furthermore rare birds like Grey headed fish eagles and Black francolins are also found here.

Along with these almost 80 types of butterflies, 193 types of birds, 100 insect families, and mammals like civets, cats, blackbucks and jackals are also found here.

Things to do at Asola Bhatti

Butterfly Park Visit

The butterfly Park in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most attractive things that you can enjoy. Spreading across 2.5 acres, this butterfly park attracts a lot of visitors on a regular basis. Here you can observe over 60 different species of butterflies. However this park is made as an initiative taken by the Delhi Government. The main motive behind creating this park was to create awareness about butterflies in the first place. Also they wanted to preserve and protect more and more varieties of butterflies as well.

Riding a bicycle

One of the major attractions in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is riding a bicycle and exploring the whole area. There is a specific cycle track present inside which is 3 km long. The visitors often enjoy cycling through this Neem Talav Cycle Track. Furthermore it can be one of the interesting activities to cycle your way through the Aravalli Forests and to enjoy the great surroundings around.

Nursery Visit

Within the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary you will find various nurseries. These nurseries are set up by Conservation Education Centre (CEC) Delhi to preserve the native trees and plants. Furthermore these nurseries are very rich with their collection of native plants, small herbs and more. They also have Bee, Butterfly and Dragonfly species here as well.

Exploring Neeli Jheel

The sanctuary actually has many lakes and Neeli Lake is just one of them. However, Neeli Lake is one of the popular attractions in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. The lake is located 16 km away from the butterfly park. But the trail to the lake is not really marked well. So whenever you are going there make sure you are careful enough about the direction and don’t get lost. The mobile networks also don’t really work well inside the Sanctuary so turning the GPS on might not work. But anyway the view of this lake is beautiful. It is also really popular as a picnic spot in the winter season. Also keep in mind that this lake is not at all fit for swimming. The lake is really deep and therefore it is not for swimming activities.

Wrapping Up!

The Asola Bhatti is a huge area and if you are interested in exploring the whole area then you need at least 3-4 hours time in hand. You will feel instantly rejoiced and your mood will be uplifted after exploring nature at its best. Furthermore the forest cover, the varied flora and fauna along with butterfly park and nursery visit it can be a really fun day out for you. So make sure you have some time in hand before visiting here. In this article I have mentioned all the necessary information about the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Do let me know if this article was helpful for you in planning a trip to this place. Also don’t forget to let me know when you are planning to visit here.