Why is it in the news?
Karnataka High Court directed the State government to include a 55 sq km reserve forest area into the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary.
The decision restores the sanctuary to its originally approved size.
Category: Environment
Important Points:
● Located in Gadag district of Karnataka.
● The court dismissed petitions from stone-crushing units operating in the Eco-Sensitive Zone.
● Declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
● Known as the only wildlife sanctuary in the state declared specifically for conservation of wild flora.
● Protects an endemic gene pool of medicinal herbs and grasses.
● Often referred to as the “Western Ghats of North Karnataka”.
● Represents a dryland ecosystem with scrub forests and grasslands.
● Contains patches of dry deciduous and riverine forests in valleys and depressions.
● Acts as a watershed and major catchment area for the Tungabhadra River.
● Fauna includes leopard, Indian wolf, striped hyena, blackbuck and four-horned antelope.