Flora And Fauna Of Chandigarh Home > Chandigarh > Chandigarh The Fort Of Chandi > Flora And Fauna Of Chandigarh

Flora And Fauna Of Chandigarh

You will find a huge variety of both plants and animals in Chandigarh. The Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary is particularly famous for its unique and amazingly beautiful flora and fauna in the city.

Flora of Chandigarh

You will find a wide variety of trees, herbs, shrubs, grasses and climber plants in the natural arenas of Chandigarh. The most prominent flora entities that you will find here include: Acacia catechu (Khair), Acacia Arabica (Kikar), Acacia modesta (Phulai), Acacia leucophloea (Raeru), Anogeissus latifolia (Chhal), Dalbergia sisoo (Shisham), Bombax ceiba (Semal), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Butea frondosa (Dhak), Emblica officinalis (Amla), Bauhinia racemosa (Kachnar), Morus alba (Tut), Diospyros montana (Kendu), Lannea grandis (Jhingan), Murraya koenigii (Kari patta), Cassia fistula (Amaltas), Prosopis juliflora (Musket), Vitex negundo (Bana or nirgundi), Zizyphus jujoba (Ber), Carissa spinarum (Karaunda), Saccharum sararoxb (Moonj), Adhatoda vasica (Vasaka), Abrus precatorious (Rati), Tinospora cordifolia (Giloe), etc.

Fauna of Chandigarh

The Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for the following breed of animals (fauna):

  • Mammals: The mammals that are found on the Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary include: Sambar, Pangolin or ant eater, Chittal or spotted deer, jackal, wild boar, small Indian civet, porcupine, jungle cat, rhesus monkey, hanuman langur, Common Mongoose, Indian hare, squirrel, common rat, etc.
  • Birds: There are over 150 different variety of birds found in the Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary. It also includes all kinds of aquatic birds. Some major birds found here include: common myna, bee-eater, hill myna, bulbul, jungle crow, tree pie, black drongo, grebes, ducks, swan, geese, hawks, coots, plovers, jacanas, doves, parrots, barn owls, rollers, woodpeckers, barbets, hornbills, hoopoes, swifts, kingfisher, golden oriole, night jars, cuckoos, grey partridge, red jungle fowl and peacock.
  • Reptiles: Some common variety of reptiles that you can find in the Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary are turtle, Russell’s viper, Common Krate, Rat Snake, Cobra, Common Monitor Gho and Indian Python.
  • Insects: Insect species like moths, butterflies, honey-bees can be found in the Sukna Wildlife Sanctuary.

Forests in Chandigarh

Chandigarh is rich in thick forests which are abundant in flora and fauna. The forests of Chandigarh are its natural treasure. There are also several gardens situated in the city which promotes flora and fauna. 3245 hectares of land is covered under forest in Chandigarh. There are two national forest reserves located in Chandigarh. They are Kansal and Nepli Reserve. The hilly topography and the pleasant climate provide sufficient resources here to support thick and woody forests. The Kansal and Nepli forest reserves are home to many rare and endangered species. These two places are worth a visit if you want to explore the natural flora and the fauna of the city.

The thick forests with lots of trees, shrubs and herbs are the best place for all kinds of animals to take shelter in. The lush greenery of the forests supports rich flora and fauna. You need the permission of the forest department to freely roam in the forests. There are rest houses nearby forest department office. They are available for visitors who wish to spend the night.
Camping in Chandigarh forest reserves is an adventurous experience. There is no other way to spend a relaxing holiday than in the lap of Mother Nature. The animal sightseeing is a very exciting and adrenaline pumping experience. Some common animals that you will encounter during camping include antelopes, neelgais, jackals, jahares, hyenas and leopards. The forest department organizes treks and excursions in the forest reserves to spread awareness about environment. It is an eco tourism initiative adopted by the state forest department.

Promotion of Eco Tourism

Nature Trails

The Chandigarh Administration of Department of Forest and Wildlife has adopted an eco tourism initiative by organizing treks and excursions in the forest reserves. The main aim of this initiative is to spread environmental awareness to preserve the rich flora and fauna of the forests. These treks are called “Natural Trails” and provide an excursion that covers the full breadth and length of the sanctuary. There are eight types of natural trails available for trekkers to choose from. They start at 2.5 km and move up to 8 km.  

Nepli Inspection Hut to Kansal Log Hut 8 Km
Nepli gate to Nepli Inspection hut via Ghareri 5 Km
Nepli gate to Nathewala and back 6 Km
Nepli gate to Nepli Inspection hut via Nathewala 6 Km
Kansal Loghut to Nepli gate 6½ Km
Kansal Loghut to Sukhomajri 5 Km
Kansal Loghut to Kansal Loghut towards Bhagwanpura 5 Km
Kansal Loghut to Kansal Loghut (Towards Nepli) 2½ Km

 

The natural trails take you through hills, woods, slopes, forest water bodies, etc. In these natural trails, you also get to have close encounters with various mammals, reptiles, birds and insects in the forest. You also see various kinds of trees, herbs, shrubs, grasses, climber plants, etc. The trails show you the true face of the forest and the rich flora and fauna it dearly protects.

 

Related Image

home
home
home
home
home
home

Related Topics

Fairs And Festivals in Chandigarh

The people of Chandigarh are usually found in festive mood celebrating every festivities with great enthusiasm and whole....

Culture in Chandigarh

Chandigarh was designed as well as built by a French architect Le Corbusier during the 1950's. After independence....

Fact File

The modern city of Chandigarh that you...

History Of Chandigarh

When India got its independence in 1947...