Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe – The Wildlife Sanctuary

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe – The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary is one of the smallest wildlife sanctuaries, with an area of about 5.14 sq. kms of reserved forests from Supe and Kutwalwadi villages of Baramati Tehsil in Pune District. The sanctuary is a popular hotspot for birdwatching. Tourists are allowed to drive their vehicles inside the sanctuary as well as to walk. The forest department has two tents within the sanctuary area. Accommodation options available in the vicinity are in Supe, outside the sanctuary. The best time to visit is from late August to February when the weather is not very harsh. Summers are hot and humid and there is heavy rainfall during monsoon.

Flora:

The sanctuary is mostly made of dry deciduous scrub forest of Acacia catechu (Khair), Acacia sp. (Hivar), Dalbergia latifolia (Sisoo), Ziziphus mauritiana (Ber), Carissa opaca (Karwand), Alysicarpus bupleurifolius, Cyathocline purpurea, Eriocauion diane, Merremia emarginata, Cucumis melo, Cyperus kyllingia, Striga densiflora, Mareilea minuta trees and interspersed grasslands.

Fauna:

The sanctuary is home to large variety of birds such as Indian roller, black-winged kite, grey hornbill, grey partridge, Eurasian collared dove, white-throated kingfisher, ashy-crowned sparrow lark, shrike, laughing dove, blue-cheeked bee-eater, Indian silverbill, Gray Francolin, Red-wattled Lapwing, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Short-Toed Snake Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Rufous-fronted Prinia, Indian Bush-Lark, Bay-backed Shrike, Southern Gray Shrike and migratory species like European Roller and Montagu's harrier could be seen during winter. The main animal species found in this sanctuary are Indian Gazelle (Chinkara), Striped Hyena, Indian gray wolf, Indian Jackal, Indian fox, and Indian Hare (black-naped hare).