Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary

Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife reserve located near Pokharia, about 19 km from Hazaribagh town in Jharkhand, spread over 186.25 sq km on the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Established in 1955, it features undulating hills, dense mixed deciduous forests and grasslands. Notable for sambar, chital, nilgai, sloth bear and diverse birdlife, it offers watchtowers, forest rest houses and scenic viewpoints for nature and wildlife observation.

Visitors can expect a forested plateau landscape with undulating hills, dry deciduous and sal forests, grassy meadows and small waterholes. The sanctuary has unpaved forest roads, watchtowers for wildlife viewing, and a forest rest house at Rajderwah. Wildlife sightings may include sambar, chital, nilgai, wild boar, sloth bear and various birds. Facilities are basic, and exploration is mainly by vehicle or short walks along designated tracks during daylight hours.

Notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and formally established in 1976, covering 186.25 sq km. The area was historically used as a hunting ground during the British period and later protected for conservation of central Indian plateau fauna. It was once known for tiger sightings and retains old forest bungalows and watchtowers from the early conservation era.