Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Context: MP completes preparations for second cheetah home – Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. Prey animals have been relocated from Kanha, Satpura and Sanjay tiger reserves.

• Location: 270 km from the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh bordering Rajasthan.
• It was notified in the year 1974 and added to the list of sanctuaries in 1984.
• It is spread over the area surrounding the Gandhi Sagar Dam backwater, and Chambal flows through it.
• The forest of this sanctuary is part of the KhathiarGir dry deciduous forest, which includes trees like Salai, Kardhai, Dhawda, Tendu, Palash, etc.
• Notable Fauna: Wild Dogs (Dholes), Chinkara, Leopard, Otter, Mugger crocodile.
• Chaturbhuj Nala rock shelters are also part of the same Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary.

Chaturbhuj Nala rock shelters

• The Chaturbhuj Nala rock shelters date from the pre-pastoral (over 6,000-12,000 years old) to the early medieval age (10th century) and are often compared to the UNESCO-approved Bhimbetka rock shelters.
• These paintings use shades of red, ochre, white and black.
• These paintings depict ancient lifestyles, such as men riding cattle, women dancing, warriors marching, and hunting scenes portraying rhinos, hump-less cattle, and deer being chased and hunted with arrows.