Uttar Pradesh: Wild life & Ecotourism | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Wild life & Ecotourism

• National Chambal Sanctuary: The National Chambal Sanctuary is famous for the rare Gangetic dolphin. The Sanctuary was founded in 1979 and is a part of a large area co-administered by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Apart from the Gangetic dolphin, the other inhabitants of the sanctury include magar (crocodile) and ghariyal (alligator), chinkara, sambar, nilgai, wolf and wild bear.
• Bakhira Bird Sanctuary: situated near Gorakhpur. This is an important and largest natural flood plain wetland in the eastern U.P., which provides a wintering & staging ground for a number of migratory waterfowls & a breeding ground for resident birds.
• Sohagabarwa Wildlife Sanctuary: This area was declared a Sanctuary in the year 1987 and is spread over an area of 482 km2. It is the prominent attraction of Maharajganj District and includes seven forest ranges of the adjoining areas. The Sanctuary acts as the corridor between the Sanctuaries in Nepal & Bihar. It is one of the habitats of tiger in U.P.
• Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary: The Sanctuary is located in Chandauli District, in the south eastern part of U.P beautiful picnic spots, dense forest, and scenic waterfalls like Raj Dari & Dev Dari & a dam nearby called Chandra Prabha Dam. It was the habitat of Asiatic Lion from 1957-1970 but after that lions disappeared from here. It serves as a natural & ideal habitat with its grasslands, many caves in Vindhyan area & waterfalls for a host of animals & plants (medicinal also) . Chandra Prabha & Karmnasha rivers, flowing through the sanctuary have a variety of fish.
• Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary: The Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1982, is spread over an area of about 501 km2 of Mirzapur & Sonbhadra District. The Sanctuary has a wide variety of wildlife in its lush green dense forest cover with numerous waterfalls, treasure of pre-historic caves, rock paintings & heritage of rare fossils. Lakhania Paintings (Rock Paintings)- Rock paintings found in the cave of this area are about 4000 year old and were discovered in 1968. Most of the paintings are in terracotta colour & depict hunting, cattle grazing, war scenes, worshipping, bee-keeping, decorative floor designs, meeting, domestic chores etc.
• Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary: This Wildlife Sanctuary is situated near Nepal border in the Tarai region of Bahraich district and is a part of Dudhawa Tiger Reserve. Girwa & Kodiala Rivers which join together and are later known as Ghaghra traverse the sanctuary.
• Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary: The Sanctuary is divided into two parts, viz, East & West. The Sanctuary was established in 1988. Suhelwa is connected with the forest of Mahadevpuri in Nepal. It is one of the habitats of tigers in U.P., which is the main attraction of the Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary.