On the very edges of the Indian Thar Desert lies aun paralleled refuge of the “Black Buck” – the most elegant Antelope found in India. Tal Chapper sanctuary not just a flat tract but also has some interspersed low and shallow areas which has open grassland with scattered prosopis trees and Acacia. This gives it an appearance of a Savanna Forest. The very word “Tal” means plane land. The rain water gradually flows through low lying areas and then collects in the small numerous seasonal water ponds.

The Tal Chapper sanctuary is located in the Sujangarh Tehsil of Churu District, which is situated in the North-East part of Rajasthan. The sanctuary lies on the Nokha- Sujangarh state Highway. It is situated at a distance of nearly 85 KM from Churu & about approximately 132 Km from Bikaner. If you are looking for a picture like countryside, plenty of fresh air and peace, you should visit this place. This sanctuary got its name from Chhapar village which is located at 27°-50' North and 74°-25' East. The flat saline depression of this Sanctuary ia called "Tal" by the locals. This gives the sanctuary a distinctive ecosystem right  in the heart of the Thar Desert, perched at a height of 302 meters or (990 feet) above sea level.

An interesting fact of the Geology of the zone is that a few hillocks, exposed rocks of quartzite and slate are also found in the west side of this sanctuary. The area lying between the sanctuary and the hillocks constitutes the watershed area of the wildlife sanctuary. The whole sanctuary gets flooded by water during the months of heavy rains and this helps the salt mining in the watershed. Very less rain water reaches the Sanctuary.

A Sanctuary For Birds- Bikaner Maharaja’s Private Hunting Space

Long time back, Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary was managed as Maharaja of Bikaner’s private hunting reserve. It got recognised as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1962. This wildlife sanctuary has always been famous for the Black Buck and now it has been given the name of Black Buck Park. These Black bucks are the most elegant antelopes ever found in India. They are also revered by the Bishnoi community as a sacred animal.

This sanctuary is also famous for its unique habitat for a great number of migratory birds. In the month of September a large number of migratory birds come here. For e.g. marsh harrier, montagur, pale harrier, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, green bee eaters, short toed eagle, skylark, blue jay, brown dove, sparrow hawk, crested lark, black ibis, ring drove and also demoiselle cranes. The sanctuary also homes nearly 1680 blackbucks. It is the highest concentration of blackbucks. A single herd often comprises of between 500-700 animals. The colour of their coat and spiral horns makes the Black Buck antelopes a great sight. Besides Black Bucks, we also find black naped hare, nilgai, chinkara, desert fox, jackal, jungle cat, etc.  in the sanctuary.

This wildlife sanctuary also homes around 122 species of resident birds and migratory birds. There are Harriers, tawny eagle, eastern imperial eagles, short-toed eagle and also sparrows. These comprise the avian diversity of Tal Chapper. We can safely say that Tal Chapper lies right on the path of migratory birds.

Another spectacular fact of the sanctuary is a special type of grass, which is locally called Mothiya. Mothiya comes from the Rajasthani word ‘moti’ meaning ‘pearl’. The seed of the grass is similar to very fine rounded pearls and is sweet in taste. Humans, blackbucks and birds enjoy eating and it is cultivated too although in small quantities

There are two rest houses situated in sanctuary area. It is maintained by forest department and has four reasonably comfortable suites. Deputy conservator of forest, Churu controls these rest houses and any one can contact the DCF, Churu for accommodation. The sanctuary area is divided into two parts by the Chhapar – Sujangarh state highway. In the sanctuary there are Kacha tracks which are used mainly for the purpose of inspection, patrolling and viewing the fauna of the sanctuary.

Location

Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is located in the Churu District of North western Rajasthan in the Shekhawati region of India. From Jaipur it is 210 km away and is on the edge of the Indian Thar Desert. It is situated on the road which goes from Ratangarh to Sujangarh. This sanctuary lies in the Sujangarh Tehsil of Churu District exactly on Nokha-Sujangarh state highway and is approximately 85 km from Churu & about 132 km from Bikaner.

Fauna

Blackbucks, the only antelope species found in India, are the main attraction of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to 1680 blackbucks. It is the highest concentration of blackbucks. A single herd often comprises between 500-700 animals. The blackbuck antelopes look very attractive with their spiral horns and the color of their coats. Besides blackbucks, jungle cat, desert fox, nilgai, black naped hare, jackal, chinkara, etc. can also be found in the sanctuary.

Flora

A special type of grass is found in this Sanctuary. This grass is locally called Mothiya. From the word "Moti", the word "Mothiya" is derived or it has come from the word ‘Pearl’ in English. The seed of this grass is shaped like very fine rounded pearls. Mothiya is very sweet in taste. Hence, people enjoy eating it, but unfortunately it is found in meager quantities. The production of this grass seed is only a few kilograms each season. Black Bucks and other birds feed on this Mothiya too which they dig out from the earth.

Attractions

"Heritage on Wheel" train is a great treat for tourists. Recently Tal Chhaper has been included in the itinerary of this Journey. Now tourists has opportunity to visit this world famous black buck Sanctuary two times in a week by this luxurious train journey. The Black Buck is the main attraction.

Best Season to Visit The Sanctuary

This region is characterized by distinct winter starting from Oct. till Feb. Summer starts from March and continues till June. Monsoon months are July to Sept. The zone has a very dry climate. There is also a large variation in temperature. During summer the wind blows South – West. During the months of May and June winds reaches a Maximum Temperature of 48°C. Here minimum temperature falls up to 10°C in month of December – January. As the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary comes under the main arid zone of the country, rainfall in this region is very erratic. Normally, rainfall in this region is about 300 mm but there is huge variation in mean annual rainfall in this region.

The Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary should be visited between September to March.

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest and the only airport in that vicinity is at Jaipur (a distance of 189 km). There are frequent flights landing here from Delhi, Mumbai and many other parts of India.

By Road

Churu is now well connected to Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and many other cities by a network of roads.

By Train

The rail station which is closest to this sanctuary is Chappar. This is located on the meter gauge line of N W Railways running from Degana to Churu to Rewari.

Visitor Information

The sanctuary is a home for many rare birds and various trees and plants with medicinal values.