Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

Barda Wildlife Sanctuary Latest News

As per a recent study, the lions have come back to Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after nearly 144 years of absence.

About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Barda Hills of Gujarat, near the coastal city of Porbandar.
• Spread over an area of roughly 192.31 square kilometers, it was established in 1979.  
• Known locally as Jam Barda, it was once a private hunting ground for the royal families of Jamnagar and Porbandar.
• It is surrounded by agricultural fields, wastelands, and forests, and the terrain of Barda is almost hilly. 
• Rivers: There are two waterways, the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, and two dams, Khambala and Fodara.
• Tribes: Ethnic races such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this region.
• Vegetation: There are several forest sub-types, such as southern tropical forest, southern dry mixed deciduous forest, and northern tropical thorn forest. 
• Flora: 
  • The area has the maximum floral diversity in the state (650 plant species). Gorad, Babul, Dhav, Rayan, Ber, Jamun, Amli, Dhudhlo, Bamboo, etc. 
  • Medicinal plants of great use grow profusely within the forested belt of the sanctuary. 
• Fauna: 
  • It shelters species like leopards, wolves, sambar deer, chinkara, hyenas, and blue bulls (nilgai). 
  • The sanctuary is also a paradise for bird watchers, with numerous resident and migratory birds such as eagles, owls, crested serpent eagles, and partridges found here.
  • The sanctuary is a key area for the conservation of Asiatic Lions.
  • To develop Barda as the second home for the Asiatic lion, the state government implemented the ‘Gir-Barda Project’ in 1979. 
  • It is the first fully protected satellite lion habitat in Gujarat. 
  • It is now home to 17 Asiatic lions, according to recent reports.

News: TOI

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