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News: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as a second habitat for Asiatic lions to reduce extinction risk from Gir Forest concentration.
About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: It is located in the Barda Hills near the coastal city of Porbandar in the Saurashtra region in Gujarat.
- Area: The sanctuary spreads across 192.31 sq. km.
- Terrain: The terrain of Barda is almost hilly and semi-arid, and it is surrounded by agricultural fields, wastelands, and forests.
- Water sources: The sanctuary has the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, along with the Khambala and Fodara dams.
- Flora: About 650 plant and tree species are found here, including Babul, Bamboo, Amli, Jamun, Ber, Gorad, Rayan, and Dhav.
- Fauna: The sanctuary shelters leopards, wolves, sambar deer, chinkara, hyenas, blue bulls, and many resident and migratory birds.
- Conservation: The state government launched the Gir-Barda Project in 1979 to develop Barda as the second home for Asiatic lions.
- Tribes: Different ethnic groups such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this area.
- Significance: It provides ecological security for Asiatic lions by reducing the danger of keeping the entire wild population confined to Gir Forest alone.
