About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary:
- It is located in the Barda Hills of Gujarat, near the coastal city of Porbandar.
- Known locally as Jam Barda, it was once a private hunting ground for the royal families of Jamnagar and Porbandar.
- It is surrounded by agricultural fields, wastelands, and forest, and the terrain of Barda is almost hilly.
- Rivers: There are two waterways, the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, and two dams, Khambala and Fodara.
- Tribes: Ethnic races such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this region.
- The sanctuary is a significant biodiversity hotspot and a key area for the conservation of Asiatic Lions.
- To develop Barda as the second home for the Asiatic lion, the state government implemented the ‘Gir-Barda Project’ in 1979.
- It is the first fully protected satellite lion habitat in Gujarat.
- Flora:
- About 650 plant and tree species constitute the flora of the park, and that includes trees and plants like Babul, Bamboo, Amli, Jamun, Dhundhlo, Ber, Gorad, Rayan, Dhav, etc.
- Medicinal plants of great use grow profusely within the forested belt of the sanctuary.
- Fauna:
- It shelters species like leopards, wolves, sambar deer, chinkara, hyenas, and blue bulls (nilgai).
- The sanctuary is also a paradise for bird watchers, with numerous resident and migratory birds such as eagles, owls, crested serpent eagles, and partridges found here.
