Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary

About Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location:
  • It is located in the eastern part of Yamunanagar district in Haryana. 
  • Covering an area of 11,000 acres, it is situated in the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas.
    • The Yamuna River runs to the east.
    • The sanctuary derives its name from the Kalesar Forest, which is a part of the reserve.
• Topography:
• It varies from plains to hills up to an elevation of 700 m, interspersed withnarrow valleys locally called ‘khols’ between the hills.
• These valleys houseseasonal rivulets locally called ‘soats’ which remain dry for most of the year.
  • The sanctuary houses the Kalesar Fort, which is believed to have been built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 
  • It is also famous for its Dak bungalows, the administrative architectural bungalows built in colonial times.
  • Flora: Mainly, the forest has trees like sal, khair, shisam, tun, sain, and amla.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to many species of animals, including leopards, sambar deer, barking deer, hyenas, jackals, Indian porcupines, Indian pangolins, and langurs. 
  • The sanctuary is also home to several species of birds, such as the red junglefowl, grey partridge, Indian peafowl, and white-throated kingfisher.

Q1: What are Dak bungalows?

Dak bungalows were a convenience for British officers detailed to set up and maintain outposts of the East India Company throughout India in the 19th century. And these were staging points for mail runners of the Imperial Mail Service, and makeshift court houses for proceedings in remote areas.

Source: SC stays construction of 4 dams inside Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary