Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

Katarniaghat is a protected area in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh that covers several hundred square kilometers along the Ghaghra River. The landscape shifts between dense teak forest, open grassland patches, and seasonal wetlands where water buffalo graze and waterbirds nest.

Authorities established the sanctuary in the mid-1970s to secure migration corridors for tigers and elephants between Nepal's Terai forests and Indian lowland zones. Later integration into the Dudhwa Reserve network strengthened coordination with neighboring protected areas.

Tharu families living outside the core zone still use traditional watchtowers to guard their crops from wild boars and deer during harvest months. Many villages maintain small shrines dedicated to forest spirits near the boundary markers where livestock grazing once occurred.

Jeeps follow designated routes through core zones, with experienced guides watching for animal tracks and bird calls and knowing the best times for sightings. Visitors should wear long trousers and closed shoes because some trails pass through tall grass and uneven ground.

Rangers report sightings of gharials, a rare crocodile species with a narrow snout, appearing in quiet river stretches and feeding mainly on fish. Ganges dolphins occasionally swim into side channels as well, though sightings remain rare and usually reveal themselves only by their characteristic dorsal fins.