Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary

Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary
Kathlour–Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Location in Punjab, India
Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
Interactive map of Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary
LocationPathankot district, Punjab, India
Nearest cityPathankot
Coordinates32°16′33″N 75°26′25″E / 32.275797°N 75.440341°E / 32.275797; 75.440341 (Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary)
Area758.40 ha
Established2007
Governing bodyDepartment of Forest and Wildlife (Punjab)

Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Pathankot district in the Indian state of Punjab.[1]

History and designation

The area was notified as a wildlife sanctuary by the Government of Punjab in 2007 (Punjab Government Notification No. 34/13/2007/Ft-V/6133 dated 28 June 2007).[2][3] The notified protected area covers approximately 758.40 hectares (about 1,896 acres) of government forest land and includes lands in and around the villages of Kushalian and Kathlour and adjoining villages. [4]

Geography and habitat

The sanctuary lies near Pathankot (about 25 km from the city) and is situated on the floodplain of the River Ravi.[5] Habitats in the sanctuary include closed-canopy forest, grassland patches (Saccharum and native grasses) and water bodies that support mammals and a variety of birds.[6]

Flora and fauna

The sanctuary is reported to support several ungulates including chital (spotted deer), sambar, hog deer and barking deer.[7] Other fauna reported from the area include porcupine, pangolin and python; avifauna reported includes parakeets, spotted owlet and vultures.[8]

Conservation and threats

The sanctuary is managed by the Department of Forest and Wildlife (Punjab), Government of Punjab.[9] The official Gazette / MoEF notification also defines an Eco-sensitive Zone (100 m around the sanctuary boundary) and lists the zonal restrictions and coordinates in Annexure II/III of the PDF. [10] In June 2024 a large fire affected parts of the sanctuary area and the Punjab wildlife/forest authorities carried out an assessment of the damage. [11]

Tourism and visitor facilities

The sanctuary was developed for controlled eco-tourism and was opened to visitors in September 2021 after development works costing around ₹1.2 crore were completed.[12] District material lists visitor facilities such as a 5-km nature trail, observation towers and battery/golf-cart style low-impact vehicles for visitors to minimise disturbance. [13]

Location and access

The sanctuary lies along the Amritsar–Jammu bypass in Tehsil Pathankot; the nearest transport hub is Pathankot (railway station and airport access to the district).[14]

See Also

References

  1. ^ "Kathlour-Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary". Incredible India. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Wildlife Sanctuary list". Department of Forest & Wildlife Preservation, Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Notification: Kathlaur–Kushalia Wildlife Sanctuary (Gazette / MoEF Annexures)" (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (Gazette PDF). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Kathlaur Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary". WildTrails. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Kathlour-Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary (location)". Incredible India. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Kathlour Wildlife Sanctuary — habitat and visitor information". Pathankot District Administration. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Kathlour Wildlife Sanctuary — fauna list". Pathankot District Administration. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  8. ^ "Kathlour Wildlife Sanctuary — fauna list". Pathankot District Administration. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Wildlife Sanctuary list". Department of Forest & Wildlife Preservation, Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Notification: Kathlaur–Kushalia Wildlife Sanctuary (Gazette / MoEF Annexures)" (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (Gazette PDF). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Wildlife Dept assesses Kathlour sanctuary fire losses". The Tribune. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Pathankot's Kathlaur Kushlian wildlife sanctuary thrown open to tourists". Hindustan Times. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Kathlour Wildlife Sanctuary — visitor facilities". Pathankot District Administration. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Kathlour-Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary (location)". Incredible India. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  1. ^ "Notification: Kathlaur–Kushalia Wildlife Sanctuary (Gazette / MoEF Annexures)" (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (Gazette PDF). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.