Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary

Established in 2019, it is the second chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka.[1]

The sanctuary is located in Sira Taluk of Tumakuru district in Karnataka, India and covers an area of 148 km² (57 sq mi).[1] The sanctuary got its name from the village Bukkapatna in Sira Taluk.

In the state of Karnataka, apart from the Bukkapatna Sanctuary, chinkaras are recorded only in Yadahalli Wildlife Sanctuary.[2] In 2019, there are about 80 chinkaras in Bukkapatna area.[3] Other than chinkaras, four-horned and blackbuck antelopes are also found here.[4] Other than antelopes, more than 20 mammal species including Leopard, Hyena and Sloth bear, 12 amphibian species, 20 reptile species and more than 160 bird species are also seen in the sanctuary.[4] The Indian egg-eating snake, which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and declared as a Schedule-1 protected species by government of India under the Wildlife Protection Act, is also seen here.[5]

The threat of poachers was a major problem for the forest here. It is hoped that the status of the wildlife sanctuary given to the forest ensured an end to the poaching, habitat loss and other threats to the forest.[6]