Chhattisgarh National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Chhattisgarh National Parks, Tiger Reserves

Achanakmar NP, Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and is a part of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.
• It is linked by the Kanha-Achanakmar Corridor to the Kanha Tiger Reserve (MP).
• The topography of the soil in the Amarkantak plateau is bauxite rocks.
• Maniyari River flows right from the centre of this reserve, which is the forest’s lifeline. The reserve is also the source of three major river systems: the Narmada, the Johilla and the Son River.
• Maikal hill ranges together with Vindhya and Satpura lie within the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.
• Vegetation: Deciduous forests.
• Major Flora: Sal and bamboo.
• Major Fauna: Bengal tiger, leopard, gaur, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, blackbuck, muntjac.

Sanjay (Guru Ghasidas) National Park, Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve

• Located in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, it is named after Guru Ghasidas of the Satnami sect.
• It lies in the Narmada Valley, and is a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve.
  • Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve comprises Sanjay National Park and the Dubri Wildlife Sanctuary
• Guru Ghasidas National Park was the last known habitat of the Asiatic cheetah in the country.
• It connects Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh and provides a corridor for tigers to move between the Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh) and Palamau Tiger Reserves (Jharkhand).
• Rivers: Banas, Gopad, Mawai, Mahan, Kodmar, Umrari and others.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous forests.
• Major Flora: Sal and bamboo forests are seen all through.
• Major Fauna: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, spotted deer, sambar deer, wild boar, nilgai, chinkara, monitor lizard.

Indravati Tiger Reserve, National Park

• It is located in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
• It derives its name from the Indravati River that forms its northern boundary.
• It is home to one of the last remaining populations of the wild water buffalo (EN).
• Vegetation: Tropical moist and dry deciduous forests.
• Major Flora: Bamboo, sal and teak.
• Major Fauna: Gaur, blackbuck, chausingha, sambar, chital, Indian muntjac, tigers, pangolins, rhesus monkeys.
• Major Avifauna: Common (Bastar) hill myna (LC).
• Major Reptilian Fauna: Freshwater crocodile.

Kanger Valley National Park

• It is also known as Kanger Ghati National Park.
• It is located in the Baster region and is home to the Bastar hill myna (LC), the state bird of Chhattisgarh.
• It derives its name from the Kanger River which flows through it. It has limestone caves. e.g., Kotumsar Caves.
• The park extends from the Teerathagarh waterfalls in the west to the Kolab river (Odisha state boundary) in the east.
• Vegetation: Sal, teak and bamboo.
• Major Fauna: Tigers, leopards, mouse deer, chital, sambar, barking deer, rhesus macaque, sloth bear.
• Major Avifauna: Hill myna, spotted owlet, steppe eagles.
• Major Reptilian Fauna: Freshwater crocodile.

Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve

• It is located in the Gariaband district, Chhattisgarh.
• Sitanadi-Udanti Tiger Reserve came into existence in the year 2008-09, are two separate reserves (Udanti & Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuaries) combined together.
• Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve = Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary + Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Sitanadi River (a tributary of Mahanadi) flows through Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Udanti River (a tributary of Tel River, which is a tributary of Mahanadi) flows through Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous mixed forests.
• Major Flora: Sal trees.
• Major Fauna: Tiger, wild water buffalo (EN), chital, sambar, four-horned antelope (chausingha), barking deer.

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Chhattisgarh

Badalkhol Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Ramgarh Hills.
• It is a tiger corridor between Achanakmar TR (Chhattisgarh) & Palamau Tiger Reserve (Jharkhand).
• Main attractions of Badalkhol Wildlife Sanctuary is the wild buffalo.

Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Mahasamund district.
• It is bounded by the River Mahanadi to the west and north and the Jonk River (a tributary of Mahanadi) to the east.
• The Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary is named after the twin forest villages of Bar and Nawapara located in the sanctuary.
• Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

Bhairamgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• Indravati River (a tributary of Godavari) separates Indravati National Park from Bhairamgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It was set up to protect the Wild Asian Buffalo (EN).

Bhoramdev Wildlife Sanctuary

•  It is situated in the Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh.
• It is named after the famous 11th-century Bhoramdeo Temple situated near the Sanctuary.
• It is a tiger corridor in Maikal Hills (eastern part of Satpura Range) between Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) and Achanakmar TR (Chhattisgarh).
• Rivers: This wildlife sanctuary is the origin of the Fen and Sankari rivers.
• Landscape: The sanctuary is characterised by its lush green forests, rolling hills, and the Maikal Range of the Satpura Hills.
• Vegetation: It offers a mix of dense forests and open grasslands.
• Flora: The main species of plants in the Sanctuary include sal, saja, tinsa, kara and haldu.
• Fauna: It is home to a variety of wildlife species, including tigers, leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, sambar deer, barking deer, chital (spotted deer), gaur (Indian bison), and various species of birds and reptiles.

Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Surajpur District, Chhattisgarh.
• The northern boundary is the Moran river, eastern boundary is Bonga Nalla, and western boundary is Rihand River.
• Part of Surguja Jashpur Elephant Reserve.

Semarsot Wildlife Sanctuary

• The sanctuary is located by the Ramgarh Hills.
• It shares its border with Bihar.
• Wildlife Species: Nilgai, chital, sambar, chinkara, wild boar, fox and jungle cat, etc.

Pamed Wild Buffalo Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh.
• Pamed Wildlife Sanctuary has some precious trees like Sal and teak.

Sarangarh-Gomardha Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located near Sarangarh town in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.