Ken Gharial Sanctuary


The Ken Gharial Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary near Panna National Park and the Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. The Ken Gharial Sanctuary is part of the Gharial Conservation association where captive bred gharials are released to help regenerate the gharial ecosystem.

Location

It is located at the confluence of the Ken River and Khudar River and spread over an area of 45,201 sq.kms. It is located northeast of the Khajuraho temples and north of Panna National Park. It is usually visited along with the Raneh Falls site nearby. It is closed for visitors in monsoon season.

History

Ken Gharial Sanctuary was inaugurated by former Dy. Conservator of Forest Shri Shrawan Kumar Mishra. The Gharial Sanctuary gets its name from the 6 meter long fish-eating Gharial, a rare species of crocodile. It has played an role in the conservation of this species

Conservation management

The sanctuary is protected under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The sanctuary is administered by the Department of Forest.