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

Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary situated in Satpuda hills of Buldhana District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. This sanctuary forms a part of the larger Melghat Tiger Reserve. The sanctuary was established on 9^th April 1997. The Sanctuary is under the Chief Conservator of forest and Field Director, Melghat Tiger Reserve with headquarters at Amravati.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary area include reserved forest of about 102.10 sq. km, protected forest of about 22.62 Sq. km and remaining land is private cultivation and Abadi lands from ex-forest villages of Ambabarwa, Chunkhadi and Rohinkhidki of Sangrampur Taluka of Buldhana District. The tourist zone of the sanctuary is 21.26 sq. km comprising eight forest compartments.

Flora:

The sanctuary comprises of tropical evergreen forests. Some of the tree species found in the forest are crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia parviflora), Indian ash tree (Lannea coromandelica), Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), Asna tree (Terminalia tomentosa), dhawada tree (Anogeissus latifolia), Teak (Ougeinia oojeinensis), Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata), Sweet Indrajao (wrightia tinctoria), golden shower tree (Cassia fistula), Miliusa tomentosa, yellow bauhinia (Bauhinia racemosa), and Flame of the forest (Butea monosperma).

Fauna:

The main fauna found in this reserve are tigers, leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, dhole, jackal, sambar, gaur, barking deer, spotted deer, blue bull, Chausingha, ratel, flying squirrel, wild boar, rhesus macaque, porcupine, pangolin, mouse deer, black-naped hare, python, Indian vulture, forest owlet, and green avadavat.

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 6 Kms from Tunki, 19 Kms from Sangrampur, 28 Kms from Jalgaon Jamod, 45 Kms from Akot, 45 Kms from Akot Railway Station, 109 Kms from Buldana and 286 Kms from Nagpur Airport. The sanctuary is situated at about 6 Kms to the north-west of Tunki on Jalgaon Jamod to Akot route.

Location

Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Phen Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Mandla District of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. It is situated in the southern region of Kanha Tiger Reserve close to Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh state borders. The sanctuary was established in 1983 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. It is better known as satellite micro core of Kanha tiger reserve and has been managed by the Kanha tiger reserve management since 1990.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary covers an area of about 111 square kilometres. It is situated adjacent to Kanha National Park in the north east direction and is considered as buffer zone of Kanha National Park. It is located near Mukki entrance gate of Kanha tiger reserve. It is connected to Kanha Tiger Reserve through Motinala buffer range. This forest is an important connective linkage for Kanha - Achanakmar wildlife corridor, through Mawai range in North as well in south and Rajanandgaon of Chattisgarh part.

This sanctuary is known for its varying landscapes and is surrounded by 18 villages within 5 km radius from the boundary. This sanctuary is home to 800 known species of flora. The trees found in the sanctuary are Sal, Teak, Saja, Aonla, Tendu, Jamun, Bel, Bamboo and Bargad. The animals found here are Tigers, Leopard, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Hyena, Fox, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Jungle Cat, Blue Bull, and Sambar.

Safari

The wildlife safari was started in 2017 after it was announced as buffer zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve. The Safari permits are issued by the management of Kanha National Park. This zone is open for jungle safari drives from 15th October to 30th June. During the monsoon period i.e. from July to September, it remains closed for tourists. During safari drives, guide service is compulsory on each safari vehicle. Tourists need to book hotels near Mukki entrance for their convenience.

Safari Timings:

·      From Oct – Feb: 06.30 AM – 11.00 AM & 02.00 PM - 05.30 PM

·      From Mar – June: 06.00 AM – 10.00 AM & 03.00 PM – 06.00 PM

·      Closed on every Wednesday evening, on Holi & Diwali

Fees:

·      Rs. 250 for Single Seat in Jeep

·      Rs. 1500 per Whole Jeep (max 6 Persons)

·      Jeep Hiring Cost: Rs. 2500 per Jeep

·      Guide Cost: Rs 480 per guide

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 10 Kms from Motinala Bus Stop, 11 Kms from Motinala, 49 Kms from Mukki, 68 Kms from Kawardha, 79 Kms from Mandla, 158 Kms from Bilaspur, 175 Kms from Jabalpur Airport and 186 Kms from Raipur. The sanctuary is situated at about 10 Kms to the north east of Motinala Bus Stop on the Mandla to Kawardha route.

Location