Punjab and Chandigarh, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Ramsar Sites

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Chandigarh

City Bird Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Chandigarh city. It is also known as Parrot Bird Sanctuary as it is primarily a habitat of parrots.

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Punjab

Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located close to the intersection of Haryana, Rajasthan & Punjab. Unlike other wildlife sanctuaries that are located over public land, the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over the private land inhabited by the Bishnoi community.
• The black buck (LC) (the State Animal of Punjab) is considered to be sacred by the Bishnois. The community also protects the blue bull or Nilgai (LC).
• Major Fauna: Blackbuck (LC); the State Animal of Punjab and blue bull or Nilgai (LC).
• Blackbuck (LC) is considered to be sacred by the Bishnois. They protect both blackbuck deer and blue bull.

Harike Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

• It is a large wetland formed after constructing the headworks across Sutlej river. The headworks is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej Rivers.

Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

• It is located in the Shiwalik foothills. It occupies a human-made reservoir constructed as part of the Bhakra-Nangal Project. Here, Indian and Chinese Prime Ministers formalized ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’ in 1954.

Others

• Bir Aishvan Wildlife Sanctuary: Sangrur district.
• Bir Bhadson Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Bunerheri Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Dosanjh Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Gurdialpura Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Mehaswala Wildlife Sanctuary and Bir Motibagh are all located in Patiala district.
• Jhajjar Bacholi Wildlife Sanctuary: Rupnagar district
• Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary: l Gurdaspur district.
• Takhni-Rehampur Wildlife Sanctuary: part of the Shivalik range in the Hoshiarpur district.

Ramsar Sites of Punjab (6)

Beas CnR

• It is a 185 km stretch of the Beas River meandering down from the Himalayan foothills. The stretch is dotted with islands, sand bars and braided channels.
• It hosts the only known population in India of the Indus River dolphin (EN). A programme was initiated to re-introduce the Gharial (CR).
• Endangered: Masheer/Himalayan Mahseer/Golden Mahseer (EN), Hog Deer (EN), Smooth-Coated Otter (VU)

Harike Wetland

• It is a shallow water reservoir at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.

Kanjli Wetland

• It is associated with the first Sikh guru, Shri Guru Nanak.

Keshopur-Miani CmR

• The Reserve is a mosaic of natural marshes, aquaculture ponds and agricultural wetlands.
• Endangered Species: Common Pochard (VU), Spotted Pond Turtle (EN)

Nangal WLS

• It occupies a human-made reservoir of Bhakra-Nangal Project in the Shiwalik foothills.
• The site is of historical importance as the Indian and Chinese Prime Ministers formalized the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” there in 1954.
• Endangered Species: Indian Pangolin (EN), Leopard (VU), Egyptian Vulture (EN)

Ropar Wetland

• It is formed by the construction of a barrage for diversion of water from the Sutlej River.
• Major Fauna: Smooth Indian Otter, Hog Deer, Sambar, Indian Pangolin