Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over an area of 26 sq km, has witnessed an increase in population of Sambars, Indian Peafowl (peacock/peahen), Wild boar and Jackal in the past four years.
Observations during field visits by the officials of the UT Forest and Wildlife Department suggests that the species of flora and fauna continue to thrive in the sanctuary due to area’s good ecological dimensions, least disturbance and continuous monitoring by forests guards in the area.
The maiden wildlife census was conducted in 2010 in the sanctuary. Though another census exercise has not been conducted in past four years, the population analysis during field surveys of forest officials has revealed that the population of Sambars and Peafowl is very high while the wild boar and jackal are also found in good numbers in the sanctuary now.
The 26 sq km area — due to its ecological faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural and zoological significance for the purpose of protecting, propagating and developing wildlife and its environment — was declared as wildlife sanctuary by Chandigarh Administration in a notification dated March 6, 1998.
Talking to The Pioneer, Kuldeep Sharma, UT deputy Conservator of Forests said, “As per our observations, the Sambars and Peafowl are found in large numbers in the sanctuary. Their population is highest in the forest area.”
“Jackal, which was not easily spotted earlier, is also sighted in the forest area now. The sightings of Jackal and Wild Boar in the sanctuary have increased. Many herbivorous species are thriving in the absence of carnivores in the wildlife sanctuary,” he added.
The species richness and diversity in Sukhna Wildlife Sanctary is of high order. Kuldeep informed that leopard has been sighted only a few times during this year while it was spotted a number of times by forest guards during last winter season.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list, leopard is listed as near threatened, Sambar as vulnerable, Indian Pangolin as near threatened species.
During the 2010 census, as per the average, the group size of Sambhar in sanctuary was reported between 3.39 to 10.07, which is higher than any other protected area in the country. It was reported that the group size of Sambhar encountered during the census was large and thereby population estimate of Sambhar is high in the area.
As per the census report compiled by the WII (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun), the total abundance estimation of Sambar in sanctuary was between 1000 to 1200 and of Peafowl is between 900 to 1100.
According to the forest officials, after more than three years of census exercise, the population of Indian Peafowl is likely to have crossed 1500 while the population of Sambars is estimated to be close to 1500 now.
The experts had also encountered 9 species of mammals and 63 species of birds during the 2010 census. The resident mammalian species are sambar, spotted deer (chital), pangolin (anteater), wild boar, jackal, small Indian civet, jungle cat, porcupine, Hanuman langur, rhesus monkey, Indian hare, common mongoose, and three- striped palm squirrel.
Prominent among the varieties of birds found in the forest area are peacock, red jungle fowl, grey partridge, cuckoos, night jars, golden oriole, kingfisher, swifts, hoopoes, hornbill, barbets, woodpeckers, rollers, barn owls, parrots, doves, jacanas, plovers, coots, hawks, geese, swan, ducks, grebes, black drongo, tree pie, jungle crow, bulbul, hill myna, koel, bee-eater, common myna etc. There are more than 250 varieties of birds in the sanctuary.
The varieties of replies including snakes like cobra, rat snake, Common krait, Russell’s viper, Indian python and common monitor (Gho), freshwater turtle inhibits the Sanctuary. The wildlife inhabitant also houses wide variety of butterflies, moth, honey-bee and other micro-organisms in abundance.