The Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Chandraprabha, is situated in Chandauli district of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...

state in central

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It is well endowed with beautiful picnic spots, dense forests, and scenic waterfalls like Rajdari, Devdari & Naugarh waterfall that attract tourists every year to its vicinity. Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about 70 kilometres from the historic city of

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

History

The area was made a hunting preserve for the rulers of Benares in the second half of the 18th century. The wildlife sanctuary was established in May 1957.

Asiatic lion The Asiatic lion is a population of '' Panthera leo leo'' that today survives in the wild only in India. Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujar ...

s were introduced at Chandra Prabha in 1958. The exercise was successful in the beginning, with the number of lions increasing from three to eleven by 1969. However, the following year the lions were found missing. The plan was again revived in 1993 although the Indian Government is yet to take a decision in this regard.

Location

Chandra Prabha Sanctuary is spread over an area of 78 km² and lies on the Naugarh and Vijaigarh hillocks on the north slope of the Kaimur Range. The Karamnasha River, a tributary of the

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

, flows through the sanctuary, as does the Chandraprabha River, a tributary of the Karamnasha.

Flora and fauna

The sanctuary has an area of 78 square kilometres. The sanctuary lies within the Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests ecoregion. Plant communities include alluvial savanna forest, southern dry mixed deciduous forest, dry deciduous scrub and savanna, dry tropical riverine forest, and desert thorn forest and scrub. Fauna includes leopard, wild boar,

Nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest Asian antelope and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus ''Boselaphus'' and was described by Peter Si ...

''(Boselaphus tragocamelus)'',

Sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

''(Cervus unicolor),''

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 ...

''(Gazella gazella),'' and Chital ''(Axis axis)'', and many species of birds.Ilyas, Orus & A Khan, Jamal. (2005). "Habitat Association and Conservation of Ungulates in Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India." ''Tropical Biodiversity''. 8(3). 173-185.

Attractions

A variety of wild animals are found at Chandra Prabha. These include

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 ...

s, chital, sambar,

nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest Asian antelope and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus ''Boselaphus'' and was described by Peter Si ...

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...

and

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 ...

. The reptilian species include python. The park is a bird watcher's paradise, as one can see around 150 species of birds. The natural vegetation consists of mahua, saagun, amaltas, tendu, koraiya, ber etc. In terms of flora, it is a typical dry deciduous forest composed of gneiss and laminated stone.

Access

Chandra Prabha sanctuary is located just 65 km from the city center of

. The most convenient way to reach the park is by hiring a taxi and driving down. The journey takes approximately two hours. The nearest rail junction is Mughalsarai and

, which is well connected to most parts of India.

References

{{Protected areas in Uttar Pradesh Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh Chandauli district Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests 1957 establishments in Uttar Pradesh Protected areas established in 1957