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WILDLIFE · LITTLE RANN · KHURWild Ass Sanctuary
The realm of the khur — the Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of Kutch, reached from Dhrangadhra and Dasada, the only home of the Indian wild ass and a birder's wonderland.
The only home of the khur
The Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of Kutch — administered from Dhrangadhra and entered from gateways like Dasada and Bajana in Surendranagar — is one of India’s most extraordinary protected areas, and the only place on earth where the Indian wild ass (khur) survives in the wild.
Across nearly five thousand square kilometres of seasonal salt marsh, dotted with grassy islands (bets), herds of khur gallop over the shimmering flats alongside nilgai, chinkara, desert foxes and jackals. In winter the Rann becomes a birder’s paradise, hosting flamingos, cranes, pelicans and clouds of migratory waterfowl around its shallow wetlands.
A jeep safari into this stark, dreamlike landscape — especially at dawn or dusk, when the light turns the salt to gold — is unforgettable. The sanctuary is also home to the Agariya salt-farmers, whose pans pattern the flats. Wild, vast and unique, it is the natural crown of Surendranagar. (Safari via the sanctuary; book officially.)
Wild asses on the Little Rann.
The khur, pushed to the brink and back
The khur, recovered in the Rann.
The khur, the Indian wild ass, crashed to a few hundred animals in the mid-twentieth century after disease swept through the population.
The Wild Ass Sanctuary was established over the Little Rann in the early 1970s specifically to protect what was left.
The population has since recovered into the thousands, and successive censuses have recorded it climbing steadily.
It is now one of the more unusual wildlife destinations in India — a salt desert that is also a major wintering ground for birds.
Reasons to make the time
Only wild ass
The khur survives nowhere else on earth. This sanctuary holds the entire wild population of the subspecies.
Vast salt marsh
The Little Rann is a seasonal salt marsh — cracked white flats to the horizon, with heat shimmer that makes distance impossible to judge.
Winter birding
Winter brings flamingos, cranes, pelicans and migratory waterfowl to the shallow water across the flats.
Other wildlife
Nilgai, chinkara, desert fox, jackal and wolf all live out here alongside the wild ass.
Jeep safaris
Safaris run out onto the flats themselves, which is an experience quite unlike a forest drive.
Agariya salt
The Agariya salt farmers work pans across the Rann through the dry months, and their presence is part of the landscape.
What to look for inside
THE KHURWild ass
Herds of khur out on the flats — the only wild population anywhere.
THE RANNSalt marsh
The Little Rann, shimmering white to the horizon in every direction.
How to spend an hour or two
Base at Dhrangadhra/Dasada
Base yourself at one of the gateways — Dhrangadhra, Dasada, Bajana or Zainabad all give access to the Rann.
Book a safari
Book officially through the sanctuary and go with a registered guide; the flats are not a place to drive into on your own.
Find the khur
Look for the herds. Khur run fast and in groups, and a galloping herd across open salt is the sight people come for.
Watch the birds
Come in winter for the birds — flamingos, cranes and pelicans gather in numbers on the shallow water.
See the salt-pans
Watch the Agariya working the salt pans, a way of life carried out in some of the harshest conditions in India.
Catch the light
Take the dawn or dusk drive. The light on the salt at both ends of the day is the other reason to be here.
The wild ass in the Rann.
Salt marsh, bets and wetlands
The sanctuary protects the Little Rann of Kutch: a vast seasonal salt marsh that floods in the monsoon and dries to a cracked plain, studded with grassy islands (bets) and fringed by shallow wetlands and salt-pans. This unique habitat sustains the khur and a rich cast of mammals and birds; access is by permit-controlled jeep safari from gateways like Dhrangadhra, Dasada and Bajana.
The rest of the district is covered in our Surendranagar travel guide.
If this is what you travel for, browse wildlife across Gujarat.
Planning it in detail? See our Little Rann wild ass guide.
The landscape itself — endless, shimmering, dreamlike — is as much the attraction as the wildlife. (Book safaris officially via the sanctuary.)
Little Rann salt marsh
Grassy bets & wetlands
Only wild-ass population
Major winter birding
When to go
October to March is the season — the Rann is dry, the migratory birds are in, and the days are bearable.
The monsoon floods the Rann and the sanctuary largely closes; the flats become shallow water for months.
April to June is severe out on the salt, with no shade anywhere; go at first light or not at all.
⏰ Visit in winter; take dawn or dusk safaris, book officially via the sanctuary, and carry binoculars.
Timings & entry
- Safaris run morning and evening
- Best from October to March
- The Rann floods in the monsoon
- Permits required
- Book via the sanctuary, officially
- Travel with a registered guide
- This is NOT a booking site — book officially
- Keep distance; don't chase wildlife
Getting there
By Air
Rajkot and Ahmedabad airports.
By Rail
Dhrangadhra and Viramgam railheads.
By Road
Gateways at Dhrangadhra, Dasada, Bajana.
On safari
KHUR & SALT
India's wild ass in the Little Rann
What to shoot
Khur galloping across the open flats.
Birds
Flamingos and cranes on the winter water.
Best light
Dawn and dusk light across the salt.
Etiquette
Keep your distance and never chase for a shot.
Know before you go
More to see close by
3Wadhwan Heritage
Surreal white salt works glittering at sunset
FORTZinzuwada Fort
Carved medieval fort gateways
Chotila Chamunda
A revered Mother-Goddess shrine on a hill
2Tarnetar Fair
The fair’s iconic hand-embroidered chhatris
HERITAGESayla
An old town of saints & havelis
Zinzuwada Gates
The Zinzuwada Gates are the surviving fortified gateways of Zinzuwada, an old walled village on the…
Where to eat near Wild Ass Sanctuary
THALIKathiawadi Thali
Rotla, kadhi, shaak and ghee-rich fare.
GANTHIYAGanthiya & fafda
Saurashtra's fried snacks.
STREETChaat & bhajiya
Lively local street food.
Veg & sweets
Hearty Zalawad veg fare and sweets.
Wild Ass Sanctuary FAQ
What is the Wild Ass Sanctuary?
A vast sanctuary over the Little Rann of Kutch, covering nearly 5,000 square kilometres of seasonal salt marsh. It is the only place in the world where the Indian wild ass, or khur, still lives wild.
Where do I enter it?
From gateway towns around the Rann — Dhrangadhra, which is the sanctuary headquarters, along with Dasada, Bajana and Zainabad in Surendranagar district.
What else lives there?
Nilgai, chinkara, desert fox, jackal and wolf, along with a long list of birds. The wild ass is the reason to come, but it is not the only thing out there.
What about birds?
Winter brings flamingos, cranes, pelicans and migratory waterfowl in large numbers to the shallow water across the flats — the Little Rann is a significant wintering ground.
How do I book a safari?
Officially, through the sanctuary or a registered operator at one of the gateway towns. This page is an information guide, not a booking service.
When is best?
October to March, and within that, dawn or dusk. The animals are active then and the light on the salt is at its best.
How big is it?
Nearly 5,000 square kilometres of seasonal salt marsh — dry, cracked flats through the winter, and shallow water through the monsoon.
What's the Agariya salt?
Salt, farmed in pans out on the flats by the Agariya community, who live and work on the Rann through the dry months in extremely hard conditions.
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FORESTNinai Waterfall
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TOWNBodeli
A bustling market town of the belt
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026