The Indian wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis L.) is listed as an endangered species by IUCN's Red Data Book. It is included in Appendix Ⅲ of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which means that there is a complete ban on its trade. It is also classified in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India, which means it has been given top priority for conservation. The wild buffalo was declared the 'state animal' of Chhattisgarh State (India) in July 2001. It is the third largest land mammal in India, after the elephant and rhino. The wild buffalo belongs to the family Bovidae, subfamily Bovinae. Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary supports the best potential habitat for, Indian wild buffalo in central India. Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 with an area of 237.27 km~2, geographically it is located between longitudes 82°11′10″ to 82°4′10″E and latitudes 19°5′30″ to 20°11′15″N. The sanctuary is strategically situated on the interstate border of Chhattisgarh and Orissa State. The forests of the sanctuary are tropical moist and tropical dry deciduous types with Sal and mixed species (Champion and Seth, 1968). The area of the Sal forest is about 34% and that of miscellaneous forest is 61.55%. Teak (natural and plantations) occupies 4.4% of the area in the sanctuary. The flora and fauna components are rich.
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