Kachhua Sanctuary, Protected wildlife sanctuary in Varanasi, India.
Kachhua Sanctuary is a protected area on the banks of the Ganges near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, set up specifically to protect river turtles and freshwater dolphins. It covers a section of the river where the natural habitat has been kept largely intact despite the proximity of a large city.
The sanctuary was founded in 1989 to help threatened river turtles through a breeding and release program. Over time, it grew into one of the main centers for freshwater turtle conservation across northern India.
The sanctuary sits along the Ganges in Varanasi, where the river is a place of daily prayer, bathing, and ritual for millions of people. Many locals see the protection of river animals as a natural extension of their bond with the sacred water.
The best time to visit is between October and June, when river levels and weather make boat travel easier. Most guided trips depart from the old city area of Varanasi and offer views of the sanctuary from the water.
The sanctuary is one of the few places in the world where the Ganges river dolphin, locally known as susu, can still be spotted with some regularity. These animals are nearly blind and rely entirely on echolocation to navigate, making them among the most river-adapted mammals on Earth.
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