10 Enchanting Wildlife Parks in Maharashtra You Should Plan to Travel

Ten Incredible Wildlife Parks in Maharashtra

01. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve – Chandrapur

Located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve is one of India’s preeminent reserves. Its tropical dry deciduous forest ecosystem harbours at least 80 tigers, and there are over 200 tigers in the larger landscape.

This is known to be the fastest-growing tiger population in the country. Tadoba also supports several other carnivore species, including the leopard and dhole, with the sambar, chital, wild pig and gaur being the most common prey species.

02. Sanjay Gandhi National Park – Mumbai

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is an 87 km² protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1969 with its headquarters situated at Borivali. The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves, sculpted by monks out of the rocky basaltic cliffs, lie within the park.

The park is also known as Borivali National Park since it is located in Borivali, a suburb of Mumbai. The famous Kanheri Caves are located within the park. A famous Jain Temple is also situated in the park.

03. Navegaon National Park – Gondia

The park is situated at southern part of Gondia district. It is located in eastern part of Maharashtra state and constitute area of 133.78 Sq.Km. It has great importance from nature conservation point of view. It is indeed nature priceless assets and beckons one and all to enjoy its picturesque landscape, its pure and fresh air. It has got immense potentials from biodiversity conservation point of view.

The national park has diverse type of vegetation ranging from dry mixed forest to moist forest. The vertebrate fauna of National park includes 209 species of birds, 9 species of reptiles and 26 species of mammals which includes Tiger, Panther, Jungle cat, Small India Civet, Palm Cavet, Wolf and Jackal. Interpretation center, small museum and library facilities are available at park. Seven Watch cabins and five watch towers are located at park for wild life observation and photography.

Nawegaon Lake in Nawegaon National Park stretches over an area of 11 sq. km. According to legend, this lake was built in the eighteenth century by Kolu Patel Koli. At present, he is called by the name of Kolasur Deo and his statue can be found on one peak encircling the lake. Local people believe that these idols assisted Kolu in making the Nawegaon Lake.

04. Nagzira National Park – Bhandara & Gondia

Nagzira National Park is a national park in the Bhandara and Gondia districts of Maharashtra state in India. It harbours many fish species, 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four amphibian species. The invertebrate fauna includes a number of butterfly and other insect species.

05. Melghat Tiger Reserve – Amravati

Melghat tiger reserve is located in the Amaravati district of Maharashtra. Melghat Tiger Reserve is located on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range in Central India, called Gavilgarh Hill. It is 225 km west of Nagpur. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1967, and was declared a tiger reserve in 1974. It was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973-74 under Project Tiger, a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect Bengal tigers. It was the first tiger reserve of Maharashtra. It is still one of the biggest tiger reserves in the country in terms of area. The name ‘Melghat’ means the confluence of various ‘ghats’ or valleys as is typical from the landscape of this tiger Reserve.

Apart from Tigers the other prominent animals are Sloth Bear, Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Leopard, Nilgais, etc. The endangered and ‘back from extinction’ Forest Owlet is also found in various areas of Melghat. Tourists can explore Melghat in all seasons but the monsoons starting mid July till end of September offers the best views. The winters are cold with night temperature dropping below 5 degrees. The summers are good for animal sightings.

Accommodation facilities in Melghat are mostly run by forest department except the hotels and resorts at Chikhaldara which are operated by private. Facilities are comfortable and basic in nature suiting the forest atmosphere where it is located.

06. Chikaldara Wildlife Sactuary – Amravati

The sole hill resort in the Vidarbha region, it is situated at an altitude of 1118 m and has the added dimension of being the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. It abounds in wildlife — panthers, sloth bears, sambar, wild boar, and even the rarely seen wild dogs. Close by is the famous Melghat Tiger Project which has 82 tigers.

07. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary – Pune

The sanctuary is located in the northern part of the Western Ghats. It is spread over the three districts Pune, Thane and Raigad. There is a shrine in the forest with the Jyotirlinga, temple of Lord Shiva. Two major tributaries of river Krishna namely Bhima and Ghod originate from this area.

The valley is a splendid combination of plant and animal life. The area is rich in fauna since there is variety of forest types in the santuary. The main wild speies are Giant Indian squirrel (Ratufa indica elphinstoni), Panther (Panthera paradus), Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Mouse Deer Tragulus memina, Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), Wild boar (Sus scrofa).

08. Pench National Park – Nagpur

Pench National Park is nestled on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. A total protected area of 1197 sq km across the two states provides shelter to more than 35 species of fauna and numerous species of flora. Pench National Park is also a tiger reserve, one of the biggest in the country. Tiger sighting is a common activity in the tiger reserve.

09. Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary – Satara

Covering an area of 423.55 square kilometres, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sanctuary is inhabited by tigers, leopards, Indian bison, sloth bears, and a variety of bird species.

10. Bor Wildlife Sanctuary – Wardha

Bor Tiger Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary that is situated close to Hingani village in Wardha District of Maharashtra. It is home to a variety of wild animals. The reserve covers an area of 138.12 sq. km, which includes the drainage basin of the Bor Dam.

Bor Tiger Reserve is centrally situated among several other Bengal tiger habitats, including nearby Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, 90 sq. km to the northeast; Nagzira Navegaon Tiger Reserve, 125 sq. km to the northeast; Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, 75 sq. km to the southeast; Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, 85 sq. km to the southeast; Melghat Tiger Reserve, 140 sq. km to the northwest; and Satpura National Park and Tiger Reserve, 160 sq. km to the northwest.