Barnawapara Sanctuary Becomes Suitable Habitat for the State Animal – Rise in the Number of Wild Buffaloes

Raipur, Sept 2023 : Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northern part of Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, is among the finest and most significant wildlife sanctuaries of the region. Known for its lush greenery and unique wildlife, the sanctuary has emerged as a favorable habitat for the state animal, the wild buffalo. The number of wild buffaloes in the sanctuary has increased from 6 to 10.

According to the Divisional Forest Officer of Barnawapara Sanctuary, with the aim of increasing the population of the state animal, the wild buffalo, permission was granted in the 2017 meeting of the State Wildlife Board to bring wild buffaloes from Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam and release them at the selected site of Barnawapara. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, also gave approval for the transfer. In 2020, one male and one female wild buffalo were brought from Assam, and in 2023, four more female buffaloes were added. These buffaloes were housed within a 10-hectare enclosure created in the Kothari range of Barnawapara Sanctuary.

The Forest Officer further informed that in 2024, at the Wild Buffalo Conservation and Breeding Centre in Khairchapar, a female buffalo (Mansi) gave birth to a male calf, while another female gave birth to a female calf. In 2025, two female calves and one male calf were born, although one female calf died due to unforeseen reasons; a proper post-mortem was conducted by a team of veterinarians.

At present, the number of wild buffaloes has risen from 6 to 10, a clear indicator of Barnawapara Sanctuary’s suitability as a thriving habitat for the state animal.