About the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Location: It is located at the foothills of the Shivalik range in Chandigarh.
- It forms part of the Sukhna Lake catchment area falling in the Shivalik Hills.
- The sanctuary was developed as a result of afforestation done for soil conservation around Sukhna Lake. It came into existence in March 1998 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- Spanning over an area of 2600 hectares, the place is quite unstable geographically and becomes prone to soil erosion by surface runoff during rains.
- It has sandy soil of Shivalik with pockets of clay embedded at places.
- Apart from the Sukhna Lake, there are around 150 small and large water bodies in the sanctuary that form its catchment area.
- Vegetation: It is characterised by a mix of forests, grasslands, and wetlands, with the Sukhna Lake forming an important part of the ecosystem.
- Flora: The common flora of the sanctuary includes Khair, Phulai, Kikar, Shisham, Moonj, Amaltas, Jhingan, Amla, Rati, Vasaka, and many more.
- Fauna:
- Squirrel, Common-Mongoose, Indian Hare, Porcupine, Jungle Cat, Jackal, Wild boar, etc are the mammals found in the sanctuary.
- Peacock, Hill myna, Jungle crow, Black drongo, Parrots, Doves, and others are the common birds of this region. Migratory birds also flock around this place.
