Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary is a

wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

India, which was founded to protect

chinkara The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Taxonomy The following six subspecies are considered valid: * Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...

s (''Indian Gazelle''). Established in 2019, it is the second chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka after

Yadahalli Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary Yadahalli Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka India, aimed for the protection of chinkaras (''Indian Gazelle''). Established in 2016, it is the first chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka. History Established in 2016, it ...

History

Established in 2019, it is the second chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka.

Description

The sanctuary is located in

Sira Taluk Sira is a taluk of Tumkur district in the state of Karnataka, India. Its headquarters, Sira city lies on the NH 48 (earlier NH 4) History Sira was politically and militarily an important region of south India prior to the British Raj. Sira Pr ...

Tumakuru district Tumakuru District is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. It is the third largest district in Karnataka by land area with an area of 10,598 km2, and fourth largest by Population. It is a one-and-a-half-hour drive fro ...

in Karnataka, India and covers an area of . The sanctuary got its name from the village Bukkapatna in Sira Taluk.

Flora and fauna

In the state of Karnataka, apart from the Bukkapatna Sanctuary, chinkaras are recorded only in Yadahalli Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2019, there are about 80 chinkaras in Bukkapatna area. Other than chinkaras, four-horned and

blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the shoulder. Ma ...

antelopes are also found here. Other than

antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...

s, more than 20 mammal species including Leopard,

Hyena Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...

and

Sloth bear The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...

, 12 amphibian species, 20 reptile species and more than 160 bird species are also seen in the sanctuary. The Indian egg-eating snake, which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

and declared as a Schedule-1 protected species by

government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

under the Wildlife Protection Act, is also seen here.

Threats and precautionary measures

The threat of poachers was a major problem for the forest here. It is hoped that the status of the wildlife sanctuary given to the forest ensured an end to the poaching, habitat loss and other threats to the forest.

References

{{Reflist Wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka Wildlife sanctuaries of the Western Ghats Protected areas of Karnataka 2019 establishments in Karnataka Protected areas established in 2019