Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, Leh, Ladakh

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, Leh, Ladakh

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the Ladakhi adjunct of the Changthang plateau in the Leh District of the union territory of Ladakh. This sanctuary is also called Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary was established in 1987. It is one of the largest wildlife reserves in the world, alongside Northeast Greenland National Park in Greenland.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary covers an area of about 1,600 km2 situated in the Ladakhi adjunct of the Changtang plateau. The altitude of the sanctuary varies from 4,300 to 5,800 metres (14,000 to 19,000 ft), and the topography is formed of deep gorges and vast plateaus. There are around 11 lakes and 10 marshes in the sanctuary and the majestic Indus River flows through the sanctuary, dividing it into two parts.

The sanctuary is surrounded by three large lakes namely Tso Moriri, Tso Kar Lake and Pangong Tso. Karzok village at 4,560 metres (14,960 ft) above sea level is situated on the northwest bank of this lake and is claimed to be the world's highest year-round inhabited village. The best time to visit Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is between the months of May and December. This is because the weather is best during these months.

Flora:

The sanctuary has natural grasslands and a wide variety of more than 200 species of wild plants grow in the higher pastures of this area, most of which is edible for animals. The vegetation is sparse in the sanctuary, but the marginal conditions have resulted in species with some remarkable characteristics. Seven rare and endangered plants with certain medicinal properties have been discovered in the sanctuary. Some of those species are listed as vulnerable and endangered on the IUCN Red List. The prominent species found in the sanctuary are Pink Arnebia (Arnebia euchroma), Siberian Cranesbill (Geranium sibiricum), Depgul (Lancea tibetica), Common Alplily (Lloydia serotina), and Gerard jointfir (Ephedra gerardiana).

Fauna:

The mammals found in the sanctuary are snow leopard, lynx, wild dog, kiang (Tibetan wild ass), Tibetan wolf, wild yak, bharal, brown bear, Ladakh urial, ibex, Tibetan argali, Tibetan gazelle, and marmot. The sanctuary is home to around 44 species of water birds and migratory birds. Some of the birds found in the sanctuary are black-necked crane, bar headed goose, common merganser, common sandpiper, northern pintail, ruddy shelduck, black winged stilt, Kentish plover, lesser sand plover, little ringed plover, Pacific golden plover, brahminy duck, red crested pochard, water rail, Palla’s gull, brown headed gull, little gull, eurasian wigeon, ferruginous duck, gadwall, garganey, mallard, northern shoveler, tufted duck, grey heron, common tern, Citrine wagtail, blacked necked grebe, great crested grebe, eurasian coot, pied avocet, common redshank, common snipe, eurasian curlew, green sandpiper, little stint, ruff, and Temminck’s stint.

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/changthang-wildlife-sanctuary-leh-connectivity.html

Location

Singhori Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Singhori Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Singhori Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Bari Taluk in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The sanctuary was established on 2^nd July 1976 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary covers an area of about 288 sq kms. The topography of the sanctuary comprises of hills, plateaus, valleys, and plains. Most of the rivers flowing in this sanctuary are seasonal. There are two main rivers in the sanctuary namely Ghoghara River and Barna River. Bhadaria Kund in Ghoghara River is the permanent water source for wildlife. Forest Rest House at Bhandiv, Forest Rest House at Bumhori, P. W. D. Rest House at Bari are available for accommodation at the sanctuary.

Flora:

The sanctuary comprises of tropical dry deciduous forests. The trees found in the sanctuary are Daora (Anogeissus latifolia), Bija (Pterocarpus marsupium), Salai (Boswellia serrata), Khair (Acacia catechu), Saja (Terminalia alata), and Tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon). There are a few patches of tropical mixed deciduous forests. The trees found here are predominantly Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) and Teak (Tectona grandis).

Fauna:

The mammals found in the sanctuary are Tiger, Leopard, Sambhar, Chital, Wild Boar, Indian Bison, Indian Wolf, Indian Fox, Indian Jackal, Langurs, Macaques, Indian Civet, Indian Hare, Indian Porcupine, and Indian Pangolin. The birds found in the sanctuary are Indian Peafowl, Indian Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Common Kestrel, Indian Roller, White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Pitta, Painted Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Sarus Crane, Junglefowl, Peacock Pheasant, and Indian Grey Hornbill. The reptiles found in the sanctuary are Indian Rock Python, Common Indian Monitor, Indian Chameleon, Fan-throated Lizard, Common Krait, Russell's Viper, Common Indian Krait, Common Rat Snake, and Indian Cobra.

Contact

Singhori Wildlife Sanctuary,

The D.F.O. Obedullaganj Division,

Raisen District,

Madhya Pradesh, India

Phone: +91 7480 224 062 / 224 063

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 12 Kms from Kundali, 35 Kms from Silwani, 36 Kms from Bareli, 39 Kms from Udaipura, 54 Kms from Raisen, 55 Kms from Bari, 75 Kms from Pipariya Railway Station, 108 Kms from Bhopal Airport, 113 Kms from Narmadapuram and 114 Kms from Sagar. The sanctuary is situated on the Sagar to Narmadapuram route.

Location

Son Gharial Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Son Gharial Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Son Gharial Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The sanctuary boundary starts from the Bansagar dam and ends at the Piparghar village where Son River enters the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The sanctuary was established in 1981 under Project Crocodile for the conservation and population growth of the critically endangered Gharial and the vulnerable Marsh Crocodile.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary has a length of about 210 Kms encompassing lengths of 161 kms of Son River, 23 kms of Banas River, and 26 kms of Gopad River. The sand banks and the riverine islands of the sanctuary are the major habitats of gharial, smooth-coated otters, Indian soft-shell turtle (Chitra Indica), Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis). It is also a breeding ground for the Indian Skimmer, a rare species of bird. This sanctuary is also home to over 101 species of birds. Visitors can observe these animals in their natural habitat by taking a boat ride on the Son River.

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 39 Kms from Hanumana, 40 Kms from Sidhi, 62 Kms from Bargawan Railway Station, 87 Kms from Waidhan, 108 Kms from Rewa and 146 Kms from Prayagraj Airport. The sanctuary is situated on the Hanumana to Waidhan route.

Location

Nagzira National Park, Maharashtra

Nagzira National Park, Maharashtra

Nagzira National Park is a national park and wildlife sanctuary located in Arjuni (Sadak), Goregaon & Tirora Taluks of Gondia District and Sakoli, Bhandara, Lakhni Taluks of Bhandara District in the Indian State of Maharashtra. The national park is considered as an oasis in the easternmost part of Maharashtra, the Vidarbha region. The national park is an important connecting link for the movement of tigers between Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and Indravati Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh).

History

The forests in the vicinity of the Bhandara were once ruled by the Gond kings. The forests was declared as wildlife sanctuary in 1970. The sanctuary was brought under the charge of Deputy Conservator of Forests, Nagpur in the year 1984. The Navegaon Wildlife Sanctuary and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary were merged together to form the Navegaon Nagzira National Park in 2012 by the government of Maharashtra and came under Project Tiger. There is a temple of Naag (Snake) which is exactly in the middle of Nagzira and a temple of Mahadev. Nagzira got its name from this temple and zira (zara) in Marathi means a perennial source of water that comes out from a hill in pongezara, Nagzira.

The National Park

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/nagzira-national-park-national-park.html

Safari

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/nagzira-national-park-safari.html

Contact

Nagzira National Park

District- Bhandara, Maharashtra, India 441801

Mobile: +91 92054 37990

Email: contact@nagzirawildlifesanctuary.com

Email: info@nagzirawildlifesanctuary.com

Connectivity

The Pitezari Tourist Gate is located at about 12 Kms from Sakoli Bus Stand, 13 Kms from Sakoli, 24 Kms from Soundad Railway Station, 43 Kms from Tirora, 44 Kms from Tirora Railway Station, 52 Kms from Bhandara, 52 Kms from Deori, 52 Kms from Gondia, 54 Kms from Gondia Junction Railway Station, 118 Kms from Nagpur Airport. The Pitezari Tourist Gate is situated at about 12 Kms to the north of Sakoli Bus Stand on the Bhandara to Deori route (National Highway 53). ST buses from Nagpur, Gondia and Bhandara ply up to Sakoli. Tourists need to take a taxi from Sakoli to reach the national park.

Location

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe, Maharashtra

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe, Maharashtra

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located near Supe Village in Baramati Taluk in Pune District in the Indian State of Maharashtra. The sanctuary is situated at the tri-junction of three Tehsils of Pune District, namely, Baramati, Daund and Purandar. The sanctuary was officially declared as a sanctuary on August 19, 1997. The sanctuary is one of the smallest wildlife sanctuaries, with an area of about 5.14 sq. kms.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/mayureshwar-wildlife-sanctuary-supe-wildlife-sanctuary.html

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 2.5 Kms from Supe Bus Stand, 16 Kms from Kedgaon, 17 Kms from Kedgaon Railway Station, 32 Kms from Daund, 32 Kms from Daund Junction Railway Station, 39 Kms from Baramati and 71 Kms from Pune Airport. The sanctuary is situated on the Supe to Kedgaon route.

Location

Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Osmanabad (Dharashiv) District in the Indian State of Maharashtra. It spans over the Dharashiv and Kalamb Tehsil of the district. The sanctuary was officially notified on May 16^th, 1997. The Yedshi Ramling Ghat sanctuary is a part of Aurangabad Wildlife Division. The Range Forest Officer (Wildlife) located at Yedshi is in charge of the sanctuary.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/yedshi-ramling-ghat-wildlife-sanctuary.html

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 2.5 Kms from Yedshi, 2.5 Kms from Yedshi Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Yedshi Railway Station, 14 Kms from Dharashiv Railway Station, 21 Kms from Dharashiv, 30 Kms from Barshi, 70 Kms from Latur, 219 Kms from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Airport and 255 Kms from Pune Airport. The sanctuary is situated on the Barshi to Latur route. Regular buses are available from Barshi, Dharashiv and Latur.

Location

Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Yawal Tehsil of the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, India. The sanctuary lies along the banks of the Anner and Manjar rivers and at the border of Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary was established in 1969.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary is spread over an area of approximately 178 sq. kms (68 sq. mi) covered by dense forest. It lies along the banks of the rivers Anner and Manjal. The sanctuary spans over the western Satpura hill ranges and serves as a habitat for a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The most popular time to visit the sanctuary is during its winter; with a temperature range of 20-28°C it is far milder than its typical scorching summers that occasionally pass 35°C. There is an old Forest Rest House at Langda Amba which was built during the British era.

Flora:

The vegetation of the sanctuary mainly comprises southern tropical dry deciduous forests. The common flora found in the sanctuary are teak, salai, anjan, awala, tendu, jamun, charoli, khair, tiwas, haldu, shisam, ain, palas, and orchards. An extensive growth of grasses and bamboo are also found here. 

Fauna:

The fauna found in this sanctuary are tigers, leopards, sambar deer, chinkara, nilgai, sloth bears, jackals, foxes, wolves, wild boars, barking deer, jungle cats, palm civet, wild dogs, and flying squirrels. The avifauna found here is dominated mostly by hill birds and grass land birds. However, a few wet land birds can also be spotted here. Sukki Lake, situated inside the forest is the abode for a number of migratory birds.

Connectivity

Pal village is the main entry point to this sanctuary from Maharashtra. Pal is located at about 30 Kms from Savda, 47 Kms from Bhuswal Junction Railway Station, 48 Kms from Bhusawal, 74 Kms from Jalgaon Airport and 88 Kms from Khargone. Pal village is situated on the Bhusawal to Khargone route.

Location

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Murud and Roha Taluks of Raigad District in the Indian State of Maharashtra. The sanctuary is a paradise for photographers and nature lovers. Bird watching and trekking are the popular activities here.

History

The sanctuary was established on 25^th February 1986. The sanctuary was handed over to Wildlife Division of Thane for wild life management and protection in 1994. The sanctuary was once part of the hunting reserves of the princely state of Murud-Janjira (Siddi Nawabs).

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary consists of 6979 hectares of forest, grasslands, and wetlands. The sanctuary hosts four trails including Phansadgaan, Chikhalgaan, Ghunyacha Maal and one along the waterholes. These trails are the best places for viewing wildlife. The sanctuary has pockets of open grassland called malls throughout the forest. The sanctuary hosts 23 water holes called gan in local language. The sacred grove (Devrai) is located near Supegaon.

Flora:

The sanctuary comprises of semi-evergreen, evergreen, mixed deciduous, dry deciduous and coastal woodland ecosystem of the Western Ghats. The sanctuary has 710 species of Plants which include 179 species of trees, 66 shrubs, 141 herbs etc. The forest on the top of the hill in the sanctuary are evergreen which include mostly Anjan (Memecylon umbellatum), Phansada (Garcinia talbootii) while those on the slopes are dry deciduous which include ain, kinjal, teak, hirda, jamba, mango, and various ficus. 

Fauna:

The sanctuary is home to 279 species of fauna including mammals, reptiles, avifauna, and butterflies. The animals found in the sanctuary are Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), Indian muntjac (barking deer), Gaur (Bos Gaurus), Dhole (Cuon alpinus), Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica), Indian leopard (Panthera pardus), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Sambar (Cervus unicolour), Lesser false vampire bat (Megaderma spasma) and Mouse deer (Tragulus meminna). The Giant Indian Squirrel is the one of the major attractions of the sanctuary. The reptiles found in the sanctuary are Python (Python molurus), Bombay earth snake (Uropeltis macrolepis), Giri's bronzeback tree snake (Dendrelaphis girii) and Southern Birdwing (Troides minos).

The sanctuary is home to more than 150 species of birds.  The birds found in the sanctuary are Sri Lanka frogmouth, Spot-bellied eagle-owl, Green Billed Malkoha, Plum-Headed Parakeet, Yellow Footed Green Pigeon, Asian Paradise Flycatcher and Malabar Piped Hornbill. Large number of migratory birds visit the sanctuary between the period of November and January. The White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) which is noted as critically endangered is also found in the sanctuary.

Connectivity

The wildlife sanctuary is located at about 7 Kms from Mazgaon, 14 Kms from Murud, 14 Kms from Murud Bus Stand, 30 Kms from Roha, 31 Kms from Roha Railway Station, and 132 Kms from Mumbai Airport. The wildlife sanctuary is situated on the Murud to Roha route via Mazgaon.

Location