Nagzira National Park – The Flora

Nagzira National Park – The Flora

The forest is covered with southern tropical dry deciduous forests. It consists of a mix of dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests, and bamboo forests. This national park serves as a living repository of various economical, medicinal, aromatic, ornamental plant species. Around 200 species of medicinal and economical importance are seen in this national park. However, there is no record of any endemic or rare species from this national park. Bamboo and teaks are often present on the slopes. Grassland can be seen near Nagzira, but it is of small size and anthropogenic in origin. The most common weeds seen in this national park are Lantana camera (Ghaneri) which is an exotic shrub and Parthenium spp. (Congress grass) which is an exotic herb.

The major tree, herbs, shrubs, and climber species found in this reserve are Terminalia tomentosa, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Anogeisus latifolia, Pterocarpus marsupium, Dispyrus melanoxylon, Tectona grandis, Bombax ceiba, Lannea grandis, BoswelIa serrata, Adina cordifolia, Xylia xylocarpa, along nallas Terminalia arjuna, Syzygium cumini, Schleichera oleosa, Terinalia Chebula, Holarrhena antidysentrica, Wrightia tinctoria. Woodfordia fructicosa, Helicteres isora, Combretum decandrum, Zizyphus oenoplia, Calycopteris floribunda, Butea superba, Bauhinia vahlii, Smilax macrophylla, Mucuna pruriens, Acacia pinnata, Themeda quadrivalvia, Iseilema laxum, Apluda varia, Eragrostis tennella, Cynodon dactylon, Imperata cylindrica, Vetiveria zizyniodes, Heteropogan contortus, Schima nervosum, and Bamboo.

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 – 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).

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 – The Wildlife Sanctuary

Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary – The Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary is situated in the Balaghat mountain range of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri).  The sanctuary covers an area of about 22.83 sq. kms. This sanctuary serves as a vital habitat for various plant and animal species, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and the ecological balance of the region. The Barsi Light Railway line built in 1907 connecting Kurduwadi to Latur passes through the sanctuary. The best time to visit Yedshi Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary is from October to June. There is a forest rest house at Yedshi. There is a railway rest house on Durgadevi hilltop near Ramling temple.

Flora:

The forest in the reserve is comprised of South tropical (regional) arid deciduous forests and thorny forests. Most of the forest area is hilly wooded land with patches of scrub land. The common trees found are Apta, Sag, Sandalwood, Guggul / Salai, Neem, Bhera, Garadi, Savar, Ain, Bor, Dhaman, Sitaphal, Saada, Moh, Medshing, Behda, Acacia catechu (Khair), Acacia leucophloea (Hiwar), Acacia nilotica (Babul), Aegle marmelos (Bel), Albizzia lebbek, Albizzia procera, Anogeissus latifolia (Dhawda), Butea monosperma (Palas), Boswellia serrata (Salaia), Ficus and Terminalia species. The common shrubs found in this reserve are Vites negundo, zizyphus species, Cassia auriculata (tarwad), Carissa carandas, Helicteres isora (Murudsheng) and Ghaneri shrubs. Apart from these, the forest department has planted a large number of trees like Bor, Shisam, Subabhul, Glyricidia here.

Fauna:

The main fauna found in this reserve are leopard, hyaena, wild cat, sloth bear, black buck, jackal, wolf, fox, monitor lizards, cobra, krait, python, rat snake, monkey, porcupine, barking deer, chinkara, and hares. The sanctuary recorded more than 100 species of birds. Some of the birds found here are peacock, black duck, and ashy crowned sparrow lark.

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