Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary in Mungeli district of Chhattisgarh and in the Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It was established in 1975, under the provisions of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and declared as a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger, in 2009. It is a part of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.

Geography and history

Linked by the hilly Kanha-Achanakmar Corridor to the tiger reserve in Kanha, Madhya Pradesh, the sanctuary comprises 557.55 km2 of forest. The park is part of Mungeli And Bilaspur Forest Division in northwest Chhattisgarh, around 50 km north of Mungeli. The nearest railway station is at Belgahna and nearest airport Bilaspur Airport(Bilasa Bai Kevat) at Chakarbhata (10 km from Bilaspur) which have regular flights from Delhi, Jabalpur and Prayagraj. Achanakmar can be reached from Pendra Road and Bilaspur railway stations. Achanakmar has a restaurant, a coffee house and many other facilities. The sanctuary is close to Amarkantak, the source of the Son River and Narmada River.

Flora

Forest vegetation mainly comprises Sal, Saja, Bija, and Bamboo.

Fauna

The sanctuary is home to the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, gaur, chital, striped hyena, Indian jackal, sloth bear, Ussuri dhole, sambar, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, blackbuck, Indian muntjac and wild boar, four variety of monkeys among other species.