Notified in 2012, the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary, apart from its rich flora, fauna and bird life is also noteworthy for being situated in the Haldwani forest division, which has the unique distinction of being one of the oldest divisions of the country. The Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary is situated about 12 kilometres west from Tanakpur city in the Champawat district.
During the colonial era, during 1826, the then British commissioner of Kumaon issued a proclamation prohibiting immediately the cutting of Sal forest in Thapala’s, the first reserved forest of Kumaon. later during 1861, the Kumaon commissioner for the first time used principles of forest management in this area. In 1868 this area for the first time came under direct administration of forest department and later in 1911 the name of this division was changed from Kumaon forest division to Haldwani forest division. In order to conserve the unique floral and faunal diversity of this area, on December 14, 2012, Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary was notified in 269 square kilometres area of the division. Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary which is named after river Nandhaur lies in the Terai arc landscape flanked by river Gaula in the west and river Sharda in the east and intersected by Nandhaur river in the middle of sanctuary. This sanctuary lies in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts of Uttrakhand. Nandhaur sanctuary today provides a breeding ground for a large population of the tigers and elephants in this area. This wildlife sanctuary has three entry gates -- Chorgalia gate (Haldwani), Kakrali gate (Tanakpur) and Kilpura gate (Chakarpur).
According to forest officials, this area is very rich in biodiversity which plays a vital role in maintenance of soil, water regime of the region and ground water recharge and prevents excessive flooding and erosion of valuable top soil. Presence of many rare species of trees and animals increases attraction of Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary. Along with Nandhaur, Kalunia is another famous river of Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary, and is known for its Mahaseer fish.
The sanctuary is an interesting animal habitat because of its location at the meeting point of the lesser Himalayan foothills and the beginning of the vast Indo-Gangetic plains. The sanctuary has 32 types of mammals, 206 birds, 15 reptiles and 10 types of fishes. The major mammals like tiger, elephant, leopard, sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, leopard cat, fishing cat, Sambar, wild fox, wild boar and the porcupine are found in Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary. The main species of birds found here include the Red Headed Trogon, purple sunbird, magpie, robin, scarlet minivet, yellow vented bulbul, redwhiskered bulbul, great tit, tree creeper, pond heron, slaty woodpecker, water redstart, racket tailed drongo, crested pied kingfisher, barbet and the Indian roller among others. Reptiles including the king cobra, cobra, viper, and krait are also found there.
Based on the physiognomy and floristic composition, the permanent vegetation of the sanctuary covers northern tropical moist deciduous forest significantly and includes moist Bhabar, dry Shivalik Sal forest, moist mixed deciduous forest, riverine forest, scrub forest and sub-tropical pine forests. The notable tree species of the region are Okhalkat (Dysoxylum binectariferum Churi (Pittosporum floribundum), Hatipawa (Endopeptidina oudhensis) which also elicit the attention of plant lovers. In order to conserve these species, Rare Tree Species Conservation Centre has been established along the Kathgodam- Chorgalia highway. This region has a range of attractions for nature lovers and tourists. A butterfly zone has been developed in the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary to attract and conserve rare butterfly species. There are many tree houses made of wood and iron which enable one to enjoy the beauty of Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary. There is also a picturesque pond called Tal Ka Gada here which remains filled with water throughout the year. At an elevation of 341 metres and about 25 kilometres from Haldwani, the Chorgalia rest house, built in 1876, is popular among nature enthusiasts also because it was here that the four horned antelope was sighted in 1960 – which is no longer found in Uttrakhand. The area also has a Sal tree with 5 metre girth in lakhan-Mandi block. The Jaulasal forest rest house built in 1923, Nandhaur museum depicting the rich cultural heritage of Haldwani forest division, the Nandhaur champion tree- a giant tree of Bombax with girth 59 feet and height 120 feet discovered in 2015, the ancient perennial water body of Sravan Tal and Nandhaur heritage safari are among the interesting aspects of this region.
Other attractions like the Ranikot floral diversity heritage spot, Danda ecotourism circuit, Chhakata ecotourism area, the rare tree species conservation centre with more than 50 rare tree species of lower region of Uttarakhand, cacti and succulents conservation centre, medicinal and aromatic tree species conservation and development centre- a knowledge centre for local people also providing medicinal plants and species which can slow down the rate of human wildlife conflict—are also unique to this region.
Officials inform that the department is also planning further developments in the region including the Nandhaur nature camp, Sharda nature trail and aquatic biodiversity zone.