Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary, located at a distance of 15 kilometres from the city Abohar in the Fazilka district of Punjab, is a unique open sanctuary which encompasses 13 revenue villages. The sanctuary got provisional notification in the year 1975 while in the year 2000 it was declared a wildlife sanctuary under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It is private sanctuary and covers an expanse of 186.5 square kilometres. The villages in the sanctuary are mainly inhabited by the folks belonging to Bishnoi community who are famed for their love for animals. Tropical dry mixed deciduous forest comprises the main vegetation of the sanctuary.
The formation of Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary relates to a unique success story of wildlife conservation in which people of Bishnoi community united themselves for protecting the Black Buck which is regarded as a sacred animal by them. It is also the State Animal of Punjab. The community has also taken the initiative to protect Blue Bull, also known as Nilgai. Through their efforts the Black Buck population has increased to become more than 3,000 which constitute the largest free roaming group surviving in the plains of Punjab. The place offers a pleasant view of the beautiful deer wandering in herds in the forest or in the houses as cattle.
Other faunal species which can be spotted here in addition to Black Buck include Porcupine, Wild Boar, Jackal and Blue Bull. The protection of these animals is entirely taken care of by the villagers who do not let the hunters kill them. Common species of plants found here include Melia azedarach, Prosopis cineraria, P. juliflor, Dalbergia sissoo, A. tortilis, Azadirachata indica, Acacia nilotica, Albizia lebbeck and many more.
Visiting Information
The best time to visit Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is the winter season, from October to March. The weather is quite pleasant during this time for wandering around the sanctuary. During summer the temperature shoots up violently whereas during monsoons the place receives heavy rainfall. The place has a good connectivity of roads and the tourists can avail buses and taxis to reach here. Abohar serves as the nearest railway station in addition to Bathinda (77 kilometres away) and Sri Ganganagar (50 kilometres away). Sahnewal Airport located in Ludhiana and Raja Sansi International Airport situated in Amritsar form the nearest airports to reach Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary.
