Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary (18437)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.2942, Longitude: 83.7278
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 95 to 103
Area of KBA (km2): 347.20185
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary lies in Maharajganj and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh. The total area of the Sanctuary is 42,820 ha. This area has been listed as a Priority III grassland (Matholia, Nichlaul) considering the conservation requirements of the typical fauna of the terai region (Rahmani and Islam 2000). The Sanctuary is divided into 7 zones for conservation and management of the wild flora and fauna. These are: core zone (7098.5 ha), administrative zone (29.07 ha), buffer zone (33518 ha), multiple use zone, tourism zone (9362.9 ha), education and awareness zone and research zone. The importance of this Sanctuary is enhanced by the presence of a waterbody called Singhrana Taal, in Chowk Range, which attracts hundreds of waterfowl (Rahmani 1988).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: No detailed study has been conducted on the bird life of this interesting Sanctuary, except for surveys by Rahmani et al. (1990) in search of the Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis, and later by Javed in search of Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis. Although, the Bengal Florican was not sighted, some grassland in Compartment No. 16 of Nagwa and Compartment No. 31 of Sunari blocks are still good florican habitat. These adjoining blocks constitute about 260 hectares. Though half of the grassland has already been planted by the Forest Department, the remaining area has perfect grass cover for florican. Sohagibarwa is connected with Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve (an IBA) in Bihar, and Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal (where the Bengal Florican is still found: BirdLife International, 2001). So there is still a chance that if the grassland habitat is protected, this endangered florican could reappear in Sohagibarwa. For this reason, the sanctuary has been designated as an IBA. Another reason for designating it as an IBA is the presence of Sarus Crane Grus antigone. Rahmani (1988) counted 45-50 Sarus in May 1988 in Singhrana Taal. The crane may have congregated in this wetland, located deep inside the forest, because most of the smaller wetlands had dried up due to summer heat. A pair of Blacknecked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus was also seen, along with a juvenile. During winter, Singhrana Taal attracts hundreds of ducks and geese. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Sohagibarwa was declared a wildlife sanctuary to protect the large mammalian fauna of the terai and bhabhar forest types of Uttar Pradesh, such as Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard Panthera pardus, and their prey, Chital Axis axis, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, and Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak. Despite fragmentation and encroachment of forest corridors, Sohagibarwa WLS is tenuously connected with the much larger Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, and the Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal, so, there could be some movement of animals.
Habitats
Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Plantation of grasslands; Grazing; Poaching; Spread of Water Hyacinth in wetlands; Control on illegal fishing in wetlands. The major issues for management of the Sanctuary is long term conservation of the Tiger, which is the flagship species of the area.There is acute shortage of staff especially at the field level due to a ban on recruitment at the level of foresters and forest guards. Man-animal conflict is another management challenge, as poisoning of carcasses leading to death of large cats is a major threat. Habitat improvement is an urgent need especially to conserve Singhrana Taal, which is the major water body of the Sanctuary. Immediate attention should be given to control Water Hyacinth in Singhrana Taal and other waterbodies. Chandamani Taal is also an important wetland and is a good Swamp Francolin habitat. Major management concerns of the area include illicit felling, grazing and increasing pressure from the taungya cultivators living in the area. Grazing and afforestation are the primary threats to these Priority III grasslands. Therefore, programmes for fodder management and stopping of all afforestation are important grassland management strategies (Rahmani and Islam 2000).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: BirdLife International (2001) Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife Red Data Book. BirdLife International. Cambridge, U.K. Rahmani, A. R. (1988) Singhrana Taal. Hornbill (1): 5-7. Rahmani, A. R., Narayan, G., Rosalind, L. and Sankaran, R. (1990) Status of the Bengal Florican in India. In: Status and Ecology of the Lesser and Bengal Floricans: Final Report. (Anonymous). Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay. Pp 55-78. Rahmani, A. R. and Islam, Z. A. (2000) Prioritization of the Indian Grasslands for Conservation of Biodiversity. In: Setting Biodiversity Priorities for India (eds. Singh, S., Sastry, A. R. K., Mehta, R. and Uppal, V.) WWF-India, New Delhi. Pp. 169-175.