Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary

Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary Kheoni wildlife sanctuary (location within Madhya Pradesh)
Location	Dewas district and Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh, India
Nearest city	Kannod
Coordinates	22.8373°N 76.8765°E / 22.8373; 76.8765[1]
Area	134.778 km^2 (52.038 sq mi)[2]
Established	1974
Governing body	Forest Department, Madhya Pradesh

Kheoni is a wildlife sanctuary^[3] located in Kannod Tehsil of Dewas district and parts of the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.^[4] It is spread over 132 square kilometers. It is connected to Ratapani Tiger Reserve through corridors. The dry deciduous forest consists of teak, tendu and bamboo.

It has a presence of tigers,^[5][6] which have apparently migrated from Ratapani and colonized Kheoni. Leopards are present in significant numbers. Other commonly found carnivores are jungle cats, jackals and striped hyena. The dominant herbivore species are nilgai, blackbuck, chinkara and chital (spotted deer). Sambar, wild boar, barking deer, four-horned antelope, and palm civet are also present, but rarely sighted.

According to a bird survey done in April 2018, Kheoni has around 125 species of birds, including the state bird of Madhya Pradesh, the Indian paradise flycatcher.^[7] Other birds in abundance are plum-headed parakeet, Eurasian collared dove, laughing dove, chestnut shouldered petronia, common crow and black drongo.

Gallery

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  Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary, Dewas
• 
  A deer spotted in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary

References

1. "Kheoni". protectedplanet.net.
2. "List of Wildlife Sanctuaries (as on December 2020)". Retrieved 22 December 2021.
3. "Protected Area Gazette Notification Database (Madhya Pradesh)". Retrieved 22 December 2021.
4. "Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary". WildTrails Recent Sightings.
5. "Tigers Spotted for First Time in Madhya Pradesh's Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary". News18. PTI. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
6. "tigers at dewas' kheoni sanctuary: MP: 5 tigers spotted in Dewas' Kheoni sanctuary". Times of India. TNN. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
7. "Four new species found in first Malwa bird count". Times of India. 9 April 2018.

External links

• Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary - The Land Unknown. www.youtube.com (in Hindi). 3 May 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.