Pant Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajgir

Pant Wildlife Sanctuary protects a surviving patch of forest in the Rajgir Hills near Rajgir, in Nalanda district of Bihar. Notified in 1978, it covers 35.84 sq km of uneven ground ringed by five hills: Ratnagiri, Vipulgiri, Vaibhargiri, Songiri and Udaygiri. The mixed deciduous forest holds rainfall, recharges groundwater and limits soil erosion into local streams. The Nalanda forest division manages it, and an eco-sensitive zone was marked around it in 2015.

Recorded wildlife includes 28 species of large mammals, 183 of birds, 39 of reptiles, 11 of amphibians, 13 of fish and 51 of butterflies. Among the animals are wild boar, nilgai, chital, red junglefowl, Indian crested porcupine, Indian hare, grey langur, rhesus macaque, golden jackal and the Indian python. The Rajgir Zoo Safari has been under construction next to the sanctuary, between Vaibhargiri and Songiri, where animals are to roam free and visitors view them from vehicles.