Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary: Shanti in the Shivaliks

February 13, 2019

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Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary: Shanti in the Shivaliks

Most people think that we, Delhiites have the best options of quick getaways. Barely driving for a few hours, we can land at the best hill stations of Himachal or Uttarakhand, or enjoy the colors of Rajasthan. But that’s not true. If truth be told, although we have these places to escape to, most often than not, they are crowded. And that is why I find it essential to discover less touristy places where I can actually leave the city (more psychologically than literally) behind and enjoy at least a day of peace. And I did find one!

A couple of weekends ago, I booked a cheap and comfortable Delhi to Chandigarh taxi, packed my DSLR, and headed to the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.

For those who are unaware, this is a forest reserve situated 2 Km north-east of the Sukhna Lake, bordering Chandigarh city. The lake itself is a major landmark and a popular sightseeing spot of Chandigarh. As I crossed the last stretch of the city near the Garden of Silence, I could feel nature taking over.

The Sanctuary- an overview

The sanctuary and the lake that lends it the name have a long and interesting history, which I learned later. In 1958, the Sukhna Lake was built by channeling a water outflow (Sukhna Choe) from the nearby Shivalik Mountain Ranges. To safeguard and strengthen the embankment, the forest department engaged in a large-scale afforestation program. This eventually led to the development of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, which gave shelter to a large variety of plants, animals, and birds, and became a haven for nature lovers and explorers like me.

As of today, the natural reserve spreads across nearly 2600 hectares (but reducing due to rampant commercial developments in close proximity) and adjoins the Nepli/Nepali and Kansal Reserve Forests on either side.

Being a weekend, I had expected a lot of visitors, but thankfully, it was only a handful of tourists, mostly school children on a field trip. I left the crowd and my cab behind and started walking through the foliage. It was dark and chilly as I went deeper into the woods. There were a lot of watchtowers and a few rest houses spread across the forest, probably for tourists’ safety.

A chance encounter

I found a number of nature trails leading towards different parts of the forest and embarked on one of the narrower ones with a couple of other tourists in tow. A few yards later I heard a heavy rustling sound and started walking towards it. I was hoping for something to be not dangerous and yet I wished there was a big cat I could capture on camera.

With mixed emotions, I headed towards the sound and from a few arms’- distance saw a blurry image of a dog-like creature. At first, I thought it was a stray dog, who probably got lost in the woods (happens in the hills all the time). But then I zoomed my camera and saw a Golden Jackal trying to fight a wild cat. By then a few tourists had gathered behind me to see the action. The jackal was a matured one and the young cat easily outdid it with its agile moves, eventually chasing it away. I would call myself lucky to have photographed the Golden Jackle and the Indian wildcat on the same frame, which I can confidently say is a rare one.

Apart from these two types of creatures, the reserve also houses Sambar deer, spotted deer, Nilgai and more.

Flocks of all feathers

I left the scene and continued on my trail towards the water bodies. Besides the Sukhna Lake, there are plenty of smaller ponds, lakes, and streams that dot the wildlife reserve. These water bodies are landing sites of hundreds of migratory and resident birds. Being winter, I could easily expect to see some of these avian beauties. The international ones usually start flocking in around October and November and stay all through spring. It was not past noon when I reached the clearing of the forest near a wetland area flanked by mangroves.

A large gathering of water birds was in motion. The storks took the silted banks, while the heron waded in the water. The spot-billed ducks, on the other hand, were happily floating on the ice-cold water. Randomly, a bunch of kingfishers would dive in and out of the water stealing a catch, while the storks clattered indignantly.

Sitting there, watching these feathered creatures was therapeutic, and peaceful because, despite all the drama, there was an order in their chaos. I tried to capture some significant moments on camera and some in my mind, to replay them later, when I would be back to the city and crave for such blissful moments.