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.
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Did you know?
The only place where gharial seen in its natural habitat in the world is the Girwa River.
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- 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
