This little known Wildlife Sanctuary is situated near Nepal border in the Tarai region of Bahraich district and is a part of Dudhawa Tiger Reserve. The Sanctuary was established on 31st May 1976 and is made up of 6 divisions. Four divisions Katarnia, Nishangara, Murthia & Dharmpur are located in the core area & rest two are in the buffer area of the Sanctuary, which is inhabited by Tharu tribes. Katarnia Ghat is connected across the border to Bardila National Park in Nepal. Girwa & Kodiala Rivers which join together and are later known as Ghaghra, traverse the sanctuary. Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and the U.P. Wildlife Protection Rules 1974, have been enforced in the district which prohibits hunting & catching of all the bird species & animals.

Animals found here- Tiger, Leopard, Swamp Deer, Chital, Kankar, Flying Squirrel, Blue Bull (Bison), Sambhar, Black Buck, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Jackal, Bear, Deer, Rhinoceros, Elephant, Four Horned Antelope, Indian Gazelle, Peafowl. New release of tiger population (in 2011) revealed that the number of tigers in the sanctuary and surrounding areas (Indo-Nepal) is rising.

Animals in the Water- are Dolphin, Crocodiles, Ghariyals, Fishes- Rohu, Bhakur, Parhin, Nain, Tongan, Belgagra, Karaunch etc., Tortoise, Python, Beaver. Crocodile farm, at Katarniaghat was established in 1972. Earlier artificial hatching of crocodiles was being done to protect & increase the number of crocodiles but now this has been changed into natural hatchery.

Birds found near water- In India about 1300 variety of birds are found. Out of them 350 varieties can be seen in Katarniaghat Sanctuary, because of their natural habitat available here. Migratory birds (Red Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck, Khachaincha), in winters have a brief stay here & they fly off to their further destinations. Other birds found here are India Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Painted Stork, Wooly Necked Stork, Black Ibis, Spoonbill, Asian Openbill, Lesser Whisling Teal, Northern Pintain, Mallard, Tufted Poachard, Great-Crested Grebe, Great Egret, Peasant-tailed Jacana, Bronze-Winged Jacana, Red-Wattled Lapwing, River Lapwing, Black-Winged Stilt, Common Coot, Pied Kingfisher, White-Throated Kingfisher. Birds found on trees- Shikra, Red-headed Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Long Billed Vulture, White-Rumped Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Indian Roller, Rufous Treepie, Rocket-tailed Drongo, Black Hooded Oriole, Green Bee-eater, Stork Billed Kingfisher.

Animals found in Grassland- Paddyfield Pipit, Black Francolin, Grey Francolin, Swamp Francolin, Eurasian Thick-knee, Bengal Florican, White Wagtail, Red Jungle Fowl.

Facilities Available- Accommodation is available in Tharu Hut & Forest Rest House with kitchen facility. Elephant ride & Boat ride are also available to the tourists.