Context: Bihar is all set to get its second tiger reserve in Kaimur district by the end of the year or early 2024. The NTCA had, in principle, approved our proposal in July for the tiger reserve. The department has now started preparing for the final submission to be sent to the NTCA for its formal approval.
About Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary
- Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary of Rohtas Forest Division is situated in the great Kaimur Range hills in the Rohtas District of Bihar.
- KWLS came into existence in 1979 (the later area was increased in 2010) with an area of over 1784.73 sq km.
- It is the largest and first wildlife sanctuary to be declared in the State of Bihar.
- The KWLS is spread in Bhabhua and Rohtas District of the State of Bihar.
- Habitats offered by deep valleys (locally known as khoras) and high hills (locally known as Ballas), daunted with rivers and nallahs having water all year round in the ‘doh’.
- Rohtasgarh Fort and Shergarh Fort are also located in these forests.
- It also has numerous Megaliths, Rock paintings of prehistoric age and stone inscriptions from a bygone era.
- The Government of Bihar has planned to develop it into a Tiger Reserve.
- This Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Rohtas Plateau and Kaimur plateau of Kaimur Range in the south-western part of Bihar.
- This forms the watershed or divide for two of the major rivers of peninsular India, the Son on the south and Tamsa or Tons on the north.
- The sanctuary forms an essential corridor between forest areas of Bihar, Jharkhand Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh ensuring the contiguity of forests in Vindhya.
- In the valley portions, there are several waterfalls of which the finest are Karkat Waterfall, Manjhar Kund, Dhua Kund, Tutla Bhawani Waterfall, Geeta Ghat Waterfall, Kashish Waterfall, and Telhar.
- There are several Dams and lakes, including Anupam Lake, Karamchat Dam and Kohira Dam.
- Anupam Lake and Kalidah near Rameshwar Kund are located in the lake.
- The major forest types are Tropical Dry Mixed Deciduous, Dry Sal Forests, Boswellia Forests and Dry Bamboo Brakes.
Important Fauna of Sanctuary
- It harbours several other faunal species some of which figure in the IUCN Red Data List. These are Leopard, Indian Pangolin, Porcupine, Wild dogs, Jackal, Sloth bear.
- The Crested eagle and Hawk eagle’s presence in Rohtas forests indicates the ecological sustenance of the area.
- It is home to many migratory birds, such as the lesser white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer’s pochard duck and lesser adjutant, greater adjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian openbill stork migrate from Central Asia to the park during winter.
- Among snakes, cobras and kraits are of common occurrence while pythons are occasionally seen.
