page_title: National Chambal Sanctuary
section_title: Fauna
hierarchical_section_title: National Chambal Sanctuary / Fauna
caption_attribution_description: Gangetic Dolphin Platanista gangetica
context_page_description: National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a
  5,400 km² tri-state protected area in northern India for the protection of the Critically Endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin. Located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it was first declared in Madhya Pradesh in 1978, and now constitutes a long narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states. Within the sanctuary, the pristine Chambal River cuts through mazes of ravines and hills with many sandy beaches.
  It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
context_section_description: The critically endangered gharial and the red-crowned roof turtle live here, and together with the endangered Ganges river dolphin are the keystone species of the sanctuary. Other large threatened inhabitants of the sanctuary include muggar crocodile, smooth-coated otter, striped hyena and Indian wolf. Chambal supports 8 of the 26 rare turtle species found in India, including Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle, three-striped roof turtle and crowned river turtle. Other reptiles who live here are: Indian flapshell turtle, soft shell turtle, Indian roofed turtle, Indian tent turtle and monitor lizard.
  Mammals of less concern which live here include: rhesus macaque, Hanuman langur, golden jackal, Bengal fox, common palm civet, small Asian mongoose, Indian grey mongoose, jungle cat, wild boar, sambar, nilgai, blackbuck, Indian gazelle, northern palm squirrel, Indian crested porcupine, Indian hare, Indian flying fox and Indian long-eared hedgehog.
  The National Chambal Sanctuary is listed as an important bird area (IBA) IN122. and is a proposed Ramsar site.  At least 320 species of resident and migratory birds inhabit the sanctuary. Migratory birds from Siberia form part of its rich avian fauna.Vulnerable bird species here include the Indian skimmer, sarus crane, Pallas's fish eagle and Indian courser. The pallid harrier and lesser flamingo are near threatened. Winter visitors include black-bellied tern, red-crested pochard, ferruginous pochard and bar-headed goose. Other species include great thick-knee, greater flamingo, darter, and brown hawk owl.
caption: Ganges dolphin
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