Hastinapur Sanctuary, India

Hastinapur Sanctuary

Hastinapur Sanctuary was founded in 1986, in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bijnore and Jyotiba Phule Nagar. The Hastinapur Sanctuary sprawling in an area of 2073 km2. The population of the wild animals includes various species of animals including antelope, sambhar, cheetal, blue bull, leopard, hyena, wild cat, and different types of birds.

Getting there

By Air

The nearest airport is Delhi, which is around 110 km away.

By Rail

Nearest railhead is Meerut, which is 40 km from the sanctuary.

By Road

Hastinapur on National Highway No. 119 Delhi-Meerut-Pauri and is connected by road to all parts of the state.

Attractions

The marshy land along the Ganges makes this sanctuary a haven for migratory birds. Over 350 species of birds are found here such as painted stork, black and white necked stork, sarus crane, as well as night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet, colourful woodpecker, barbet, kingfisher, minivet, bee-eater and bulbul.Hastinapur National Park is rich in faunal wealth because of the varied types of ecological niches existing in the reserve.

The main groups occur are mammals, birds, reptiles (snakes and lizards), amphibians (frogs & toads) butterflies and fishes, and chiefly the invertebrate groups are, the Scorpions, Centipedes, Odonata (dragon & damselflies), Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, etc.) Isoptera (termites) and Lepidoptera which comprises more than 60 species.

Our National Bird Peacock is found here in abundance.Other inhabitants include the sloth bear, jackal, wild pig and the lesser cats- fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cat and civet. Hastinapur has also an abundance of birds.

There are spectacular painted storks, black and white necked storks, sarus cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet, Colorful woodpeckers, barbets, kingfishers, minivets, bee eaters and bulbuls flit through the forest canopy.Gangetic dolphins have been spotted in certain stretches along the river, especially between Haridwar and Bijnor.