Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS)

Why in News?

The carcass of a male elephant aged around 45-50 years was found recently in the dense forests of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS).

KWS is a protected area in the Upper Gangetic plain of Uttar Pradesh.
Established under the 'Project Tiger' initiative in 1987.
Together with the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dudhwa National Park it forms the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. It was established in 1975.
The Katerniaghat Forest provides strategic connectivity between tiger habitats of Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India and the Bardia National Park in Nepal.
River – Girwa.
Forest - Mixed deciduous forests.
Vegetation - Its fragile Terai ecosystem comprises a mosaic of sal and teak forests, lush grasslands, numerous swamps and wetlands.

Did you know?

The only place where gharial seen in its natural habitat in the world is the Girwa River.

Faunas - It is home to a number of endangered species including gharial, tiger, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, swamp deer, hispid hare, Bengal florican, and the white-backed and long-billed vultures.
The sanctuary also features species such as chital, hog deer, wild boar, tigers, elephants, and leopards.
Recently spotted Herpetofaunas - Banded krait, the Burmese rock python, the yellow speckled wolf-snake and the paradise flying snake, a rare red coral kukri snake.

Reference

Bahraich | Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary