Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildlife sanctuary in Bahraich district, India.

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.

The Ghirwa River, which flows through the sanctuary, is central to local life and belief: its waters are the habitat of the endangered Gangetic dolphin, large mugger crocodiles and turtles. The forest is divided into six blocks, with Katarnia, Nishanagara, Murtiha and Bharthapur forming the core zone and Motipur and Kakrha the buffer zone. A narrow-gauge North Eastern Railway line and the road linking Bichia to Katarnia run parallel through the middle of the area.

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.