Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
, and is located in Uttar Pradesh
near the India
-Nepal
border, in the Terai
area of Bahraich district. It covers an area of 400 square kilometre and was established in 1976.
The sanctuary is now being managed along with the Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
, as part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger of the Government of India. The Katerniaghat Forests provide strategic connectivity between tiger habitats of Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India and the Bardia National Park in Nepal. Its fragile Terai ecosystem comprises a mesmerizing mosaic of Sal and Teak forests, lush grasslands, steaming swamps and wetlands. it is unique for the number of endangered and critically endangered species, which occur here and include the gharial
, tiger
, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, Swamp Deer, Hispid hare
, Bengal florican
, the White-backed
and Long-billed vulture
s.
One of the best places in the world for seeing the Gharial in its natural habitat is the Girwa River, where it is found sympatric with the mugger
. This population was one of three that were still breeding, when the project to conserve this reptile from the verge of extinction was initiated in 1975. In the Girwa, mugger crocodiles are also seen though in much smaller numbers, as their favorite haunts are stagnant wetlands like the many taals andbaghars that occur in the sanctuary. Side by side the serenely swimming gharial can be seen frolicking Ganges dolphins.
The herpetofauna of Katerniaghat is highly fascinating and represented by several species such as the Banded Krait, the Burmese Rock Python, the Yellow Speckled Wolf-snake and the Paradise Flying Snake that have been discovered here fairly recently along with a number of other species still waiting to be discovered.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve consists of the Dudhwa National Park, the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, India and is located in the alluvial plain, the doab of the Mohana and Suheli rivers....
, and is located in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
near the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
border, in the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
area of Bahraich district. It covers an area of 400 square kilometre and was established in 1976.
The sanctuary is now being managed along with the Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
The Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve near Mailani in Uttar Pradesh, India. It covers an area of 227 km2 and was founded in 1972.-Fauna:* Tiger* Leopard* Swamp Deer* Hog Deer* Barking Deer* Bengal Florican...
, as part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger of the Government of India. The Katerniaghat Forests provide strategic connectivity between tiger habitats of Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India and the Bardia National Park in Nepal. Its fragile Terai ecosystem comprises a mesmerizing mosaic of Sal and Teak forests, lush grasslands, steaming swamps and wetlands. it is unique for the number of endangered and critically endangered species, which occur here and include the gharial
Gharial
The gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
, tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, Swamp Deer, Hispid hare
Hispid Hare
The Hispid hare Caprolagus hispidus, also called Assam rabbit is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, the habitat of hispid hares is highly fragmented with an area of occupancy of less than extending over an estimated...
, Bengal florican
Bengal Florican
The Bengal Florican , also called Bengal Bustard, is a very rare bustard species from tropical southern Asia. It is the only member of the genus Houbaropsis...
, the White-backed
White-backed Vulture
The White-backed Vulture is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus...
and Long-billed vulture
Long-billed Vulture
The Indian Vulture is an Old World vulture and is closely related to the Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus. It breeds mainly on hilly crags in central and peninsular India. The birds in the northern part of its range once considered a subspecies are now considered a separate species, the Slender-billed...
s.
One of the best places in the world for seeing the Gharial in its natural habitat is the Girwa River, where it is found sympatric with the mugger
Mugger Crocodile
The mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...
. This population was one of three that were still breeding, when the project to conserve this reptile from the verge of extinction was initiated in 1975. In the Girwa, mugger crocodiles are also seen though in much smaller numbers, as their favorite haunts are stagnant wetlands like the many taals andbaghars that occur in the sanctuary. Side by side the serenely swimming gharial can be seen frolicking Ganges dolphins.
The herpetofauna of Katerniaghat is highly fascinating and represented by several species such as the Banded Krait, the Burmese Rock Python, the Yellow Speckled Wolf-snake and the Paradise Flying Snake that have been discovered here fairly recently along with a number of other species still waiting to be discovered.
See also
- Dudhwa National ParkDudhwa National ParkDudhwa National Park is located in the Terai of Uttar Pradesh, India and covers an area of 680 km2 with a buffer area of almost 190 km2. In altitude it ranges from about to . The international border with Nepal forms the northern boundary, and the River Suheli the southern boundary. Its...
- Kishanpur Wildlife SanctuaryKishanpur Wildlife SanctuaryThe Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve near Mailani in Uttar Pradesh, India. It covers an area of 227 km2 and was founded in 1972.-Fauna:* Tiger* Leopard* Swamp Deer* Hog Deer* Barking Deer* Bengal Florican...
, (Lakhimpur Kheri district)