National Chambal Sanctuary

The National Chambal Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary along the Chambal River in Morena district, India, covering roughly 5400 square kilometers across three states. The river flows through quiet stretches with open sandbanks and densely vegetated shorelines, where shallow edges alternate with deeper channels.

In 1979, the area received its official protection status through simultaneous notifications from the three involved states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Before that, the region was known for its untouched river stretches that remained sparsely populated and rarely visited.

The traditional names of many riverbank points along the Chambal reflect old ties to local villages and trade routes that once relied on these waterways. Fishermen from neighboring communities still use small flat-bottomed boats that follow designs passed down through generations.

Visitors enter the reserve through several access points including Pinahat and Nandagon Ghat and can book boat tours for wildlife viewing throughout the year. Water level variations affect the accessibility of different shoreline areas, so checking local advice before arriving is recommended.

The reserve holds the largest wild population of the gharial, a rare crocodile with a narrow snout that now survives almost nowhere else in the world. Over 320 bird species and eight turtle species rely on the clean river stretches as their habitat.