Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary
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Madhya Pradesh, India
| Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 River Chambal in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary | |
  Map of India  Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (India) | |
 Interactive map of Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary | |
| Location | Mandsaur and Nimach districts Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates | 24°34′59″N 75°42′43″E / 24.583°N 75.712°E[1] |
| Area | 368.62 km2 (142.32 sq mi) |
| Established | 1974 |
Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary situated on the northern boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is spread over an area of 368.62 km2 (142.32 sq mi) adjoining Rajasthan state in India. It was notified in 1974 and more area was added in 1983. The Chambal River passes through the sanctuary dividing it into two parts. The western part is in Neemuch district and eastern part is in Mandsaur district. It is in the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.[3]
The Sanctuary is open throughout the year. With a varied terrain of wooded hills – the forest being dry, mixed and deciduous- and flat grasslands around Gandhi sagar dam submergence, it offers abundant opportunities of sighting a variety of wildlife. The principal tree species found in the Sanctuary are Khair (Acacia catechu), Salai, Kardhai, Dhawda, Tendu, Palash etc.
The main predators found here are cheetah, dhole, Indian leopard, striped hyena, and Indian jackal. In 2025, a caracal was spotted here, a cat species critically endangered in India.[4] Common herbivores include chinkara, nilgai, chital, Indian boar, and sambar deer. Other notable species here are sloth bear, Indian pangolin, northern plains gray langur, smooth-coated otter, Indian peafowl, and the mugger crocodile.
