Bikaner beckons tourists with its majestic forts and havelis, the Bikaneri bhujia and the iconic Bikaneri camel. But the desert city in Rajasthan is now seeing wildlife enthusiasts from around the world. The reason: vultures and other raptors (birds of prey) fly in every year, making Jorbeer—a conservation reserve located 12km from Bikaner—their winter home. This extraordinary site has become a favourite haunt of ornithologists, photographers and birdwatchers alike, thanks to the efforts of residents like Jitendra Solanki aka Dr Jitu, 44, who did his PhD on snakes but ended up working for the conservation of these birds. He has been visiting Jorbeer since childhood and knows the terrain better than most forest officials. “‘Jor’ means connected and ‘beer’ means forest, so Jorbeer is a unique desert forest connected to the city,” he explains.
Spanning 56.26sqkm, Jorbeer was officially declared a conservation reserve for vultures in 2009. Historically, Jorbeer has been a dedicated site for skinning animal carcasses. The practice was initiated by Maharaja Ganga Singh (1888-1943) of Bikaner, which was once home to large herds of camels and produced high-quality leather goods such as bags, belts, shoes and jootis. These carcasses attract thousands of vultures and other raptors.
Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus)
Eurasian Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus)
Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
Jackal
On the road to Jorbeer, a signboard in Hindi reads ‘Bhojan Shala’ (eatery), only it alludes to the feeding ground of these scavengers. Nowhere else in Rajasthan, or possibly the world, does such a congregation of raptors gather in one place. During peak season, which lasts from late September to mid-March, between 5,000 to 8,000 vultures, eagles, buzzards, harriers and other raptors migrate to Jorbeer from Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and other parts of Central and South Asia.
Visiting Jorbeer requires an entry fee of Rs30 per person and Rs300 per vehicle. A jeep is recommended for exploration, as raptors are more tolerant of vehicles than pedestrians. Additionally, the area is home to feral dogs, making walking unsafe.
Jorbeer is breathtaking, with birds of prey of every hue and kind dotting its landscape. Trees are laden with Steppe Eagles, which have rich brown plumage and well-splayed wing tips. These eagles, the national bird of Egypt, are also known as Saladin’s Eagle, named after Egypt’s first sultan. Eurasian Griffons, with their massive tricoloured bodies and pale heads, perch nearby, while Cinereous Vultures—also called Black Vultures—intimidate smaller birds to claim their share of the feast. Weighing up to 14kg, the Cinereous Vulture is the largest of its kind and has dominant presence in the reserve. “We call the Cinereous Vulture ‘The Tiger of Jorbeer’ because of its sheer size and dominance,” says Dr Jitu. The ground teems with Egyptian Vultures, also called White Scavengers or Pharaoh’s Chickens, as they were sacred to ancient Egyptian rulers. The King Vulture, also known as the Red-Headed Vulture, used to be a regular once, but has nearly vanished from Jorbeer today. Without them, many carcasses remain untouched in the wild, highlighting the importance of a dedicated feeding ground like Jorbeer. Unlike many places where vultures are considered omens of death, local communities in Bikaner protect them, allowing them to thrive.
Dr Jitu’s passion for birds took a definitive turn while he was doing his bachelor’s in science in 1999. He started assisting Dr Pratap Singh Kataria, noted ornithologist and head of zoology department at the Dungar government college in Bikaner, with birdwatching excursions. “From that moment, my mind was occupied only with vultures, eagles and other raptors. I decided to make this my career,” says Dr Jitu.
Despite societal pressures to take up a conventional job, he pursued his passion. In 2004, while helping his father at a camel product outlet, a Parsi family asked him to show them the vultures. Impressed by his knowledge, they paid him Rs500, giving him the confidence to pursue wildlife guiding. Later, a German tourist, whom he guided through Jorbeer, gifted him $100, reinforcing his belief in his chosen path.
His wife Puja initially struggled with his unconventional career but later became his biggest supporter. A postgraduate in chemistry, she now pursues her PhD while also managing family responsibilities.
Dr Jitu founded the Bikaner Bird Club in 2013, promoting sustainable wildlife tourism and rescuing injured birds and snakes. He educates schoolchildren about conservation and hosts bird festivals and environmental clean-ups. His next goal is to tackle the massive plastic waste left behind in animal carcasses, which poses a threat to both vultures and the ecosystem in Jorbeer. Through collaborations with civic bodies, forest department and college students, he hopes to launch a large-scale plastic clean-up drive.
Jorbeer is more than just a feeding ground for vultures; it is a living testament to Rajasthan’s ecological heritage.