It is also an important corridor between Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves of the State.
Vegetation: Dry deciduous forests.
Major Flora: Teak, tendu and bamboo.
Major Fauna: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Indian bison, blue bull, chital, barking deer, mouse deer.
Threats: Forest fires and human-animal conflict.
Melghat Tiger Reserve, Gugamal National Park
It is located in the Amravati region.
The Tapti River flows through the northern part of Melghat Tiger Reserve and forms the boundary of the reserve together with the Gawilghur ridge of the Satpura Range.
Gugamal National Park is part of Melghat Tiger Reserve. It is one of seven protected areas in the Melghat Tiger Reserve.
The Tiger Reserve is a catchment of five major rivers: Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga and Dolar (all tributaries of Tapti).
Navegaon National Park is located in the Arjuni Morgaon subdivision of Gondia district of Maharashtra.
Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon is home to almost 60% of bird species found in entire Maharashtra. Every winter, flocks of migratory birds visit Nawegaon lake.
Vegetation: Moist and dry deciduous forest.
Major Fauna: Tiger, leopard, Indian gaur, sloth bear, common giant flying squirrel, small Indian civet.
Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) = Nawegaon National Park + Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary + Koka Wildlife Sanctuary.
Strategically, the Tiger Reserve is located in the heart of central Indian Tiger landscape which contributes almost one sixth of the total tiger population of the country.
NNTR has connectivity with the major tiger reserves in Central India like,
Indirectly with the Kawal and Nagarjuna Sagar in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and, Achanakmar Tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh.
Pench National Park, Tiger Reserve
Pench National Park is located in the Nagpur district of Maharashtra. Pench National Park is also known as Jawaharlal Nehru National Park.
Pench Tiger Reserve straddles across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park (MP) and the Jawahar Nehru Pench National Park (Maharashtra).
Vegetation: tropical dry deciduous forest.
Major Flora: Teak, segun, tendu.
Major Fauna: Royal Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, four-horned antelope.
Chandoli National Park, Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats.
Sahyadri Tiger Reserve=Chandoli National Park + Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary.
It is located in Mumbai. 2400-year-old Kanheri caves sculpted out of a massive basalt lie within the park. It served for the Buddhist centres of education.
Major Fauna: Chital, rhesus macaque, Indian muntjac, Asian palm civet, mouse deer, Indian flying fox, leopard.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Tadoba National Park, Andheri Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. It is Maharashtra’s oldest and largest National Park.
Tadoba Lake and Erai Reservoir are the major wetlands in the reserve. Erai reservoir offers a good habitat for mugger crocodile (marsh crocodile).
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve = Tadoba National Park + Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary
Vegetation: Dry deciduous forest.
Major Flora: Teak, tendu.
Major Fauna: tiger, gaur, nilgai, dhole, small Indian civet.
Threats: Human habitations and forest fires.
Wildlife Sanctuaries of Maharashtra
Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary
The Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in satpuda hills of Buldhana District of Maharashtra.
It is located to the west of Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary.
Melghat Tiger Reserve = Gugamal National Park + Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary & Amba Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary.
Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary
Tadoba Tiger Reserve = Tadoba National Park + Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary
Aner Dam Wildlife Sanctuary
It is situated on southwestern range of Satpura range.
It is contiguous with the Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary.
This sanctuary is spread around the catchment area of Aner river specially above the high flood level around the Aner Dam.
Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Vidarbha region.
Parlkota River (tributary ofIndravati River) flows through it.
It is contiguous with the Indravati Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh).
Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary
It surrounds Bhimashankar Temple in the Sahyadris.
It was created to protect the habitat ofIndian (Malabar) Giant Squirrel (LC), the state animal of Maharashtra.
Bhimashankar Temple is popular Jyotirlinga shrine in Maharashtra (others are Trimbakeshwar, Nashik & Grishneshwar, Aurangabad).
Bhimashankar is the source of the Bhima River (a tributary of Krishna River).
Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
Pranhita River (formed by the confluence of Wardha & Wainganga Rivers) flows along its western boundary.
The Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a link between the Tadoba Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and the Indravati Tiger Reserve(Chhattisgarh).
Deulgaon-Rehekuri Wildlife Sanctuary
It is situated in Ahmednagar district.
It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary to protect Blackbuck (LC), locally known as‘Kalvit’.
The sanctuary is also known for its archaeological significance, as it contains ancient rock-cut caves and inscriptions that date back to the Mauryan period.
Dhyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary
It about to the southwest of Melghat Tiger Reserve.
Dhyanganga River, a minor tributary of the Purna River, which itself is a tributary of the Tapti River, flows through the Wildlife Sanctuary.
New Maldhok Bird (Gangewadi) Wildlife Sanctuary
Gangewadi grassland, located on the boundary of Solapur and Osmanabad districts, is now notified and included in the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary in Solapur district.
Gautala-Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary
It lies in the Satmala and Ajantha Hill ranges of the Western Ghats.
Loacted in Vidarbha region, it is a tiger corridor that connects Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve with Umred Karhandala Wildlife Sanctuary.
Great Indian Bustard Wildlife Sanctuary
Also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary), it is a Wildlife Sanctuary for the Great Indian Bustard (CR).
The land is drought-prone and semi-arid.
Isapur Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Yavatmal district.
Painganga River(rises in the Ajantha range; a tributary of Wardha River) flows through the Isapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
Jaikwadi Wildlife Sanctuary (BS)
It sprawls across the backwaters of Nath Sagar reservoir (Jaikwadi Dam) constructed over Godavari River.
Nath Sagar reservoir is a multipurpose project used to irrigate drought-prone Marathwada Region.
Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Sahyadris (Western Ghats).
The Wildlife Sanctuary surrounds the Kalsubai peak (1646 m), the highest point of Maharashtra.
Karnala Fort Wildlife Sanctuary (BS)
It is located between Mumbai and Lonavala Hill Station.
Karanja Sohal Blackbuck Wildlife Sanctuary
It was created to preserve theblackbuck (LC) population.
Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Vidarbha region.
It is renowned for the four-horned antelope (chausingha, VU) and barking deer (Indian muntjac, LC).
Kolamarka Wildlife Sanctuary
It is a Conservation Reserve in Gadchiroliupgraded to Wildlife Sanctuary in 2022.
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
It is an Important Bird Area located in the Western Ghats.
Sahyadri Tiger Reserve is lies between Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park.
It forms the catchment area for the Koyna River, and Shivsagar reservoir formed by the Koyna Dam (the major portion of the Shivsagar reservoir or Shivajisagar Lake and the Koyna Dam lie in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve).
Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
It is a saline alkaline lake (pH value more than 7) located in Buldhana district. It is a 56,000-year-old crater created by ameteor impact during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.58 million to 11,700 years ago).
Malvan Marine Wildlife Sanctuary
The core zone includes the Sindhudurg fort (built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj). The fort occupies an islet near the coastal town of Malvan.
Mansingdeo Wildlife Sanctuary
On the Maharashtra side, the Mansinghdeo Wildlife Sanctuary acts as a buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve.
Muktai Bhawani Wildlife Sanctuary
A Conservation Reserveupgraded to Wildlife Sanctuary in 2022.
The sanctuary is situated on the Satpura mountain range in the Akola district of Maharashtra.
It is located in the Gawilgarh Hills (in Vidarbha) along with the Melghat Tiger Reserve.
Both the Narnala fort and the Gawilgarh Fort are located in the Gawilgarh Hills.
Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary
The Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Yavatmal district and Nanded district of Maharashtra.
It is flanked by river Painganga or Penganaga River on the three sides. Penganaga River rises in the Ajantha range and is a major tributary of the Wardha River.
Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Raigad district.
It was created to preserve coastal woodland ecosystem of the Western Ghats.
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary
It lies at the southern end of the Sahyadri hills in the Western Ghats.
It is the first declared Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra.
Indian bison or gaur (VU) is its flagship species .
Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located to the east of Chandoli National Park in Sangli district (lies outside Western Ghats).
It is a man-made forest.
Sudhagad Wildlife Sanctuary
It surrounds the Sudhagad Fort located in the Western Ghats. It lies between Lonavla hill station and Raigad Fort.
Thanale Buddhist caves (of 1st century B.C.) lie close to it.
Thane Creek Flamingo Wildlife Sanctuary
It is an inlet with mangroves that isolates Mumbai from the mainland.
It is Maharashtra’s second marine sanctuaryafter Malvan sanctuary.
Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
It is an isolated Wildlife Sanctuary with tiger presence in Pandarkawada district.
Penganga River flows along its periphery.
Umred-Kharngla Wildlife Sanctuary
It is a tiger corridor that connects Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve with Nagzira Tiger Reserve.
It is bounded by the Wainganga River on east.
Others
Koka Wildlife Sanctuary: Between Wainganga River and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mayureswar Supe Wildlife Sanctuary: Located in Pune district.
Naigaon Peacock Wildlife Sanctuary: Located in Beed district.
Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary: along the Mulshi Dam adjacent to the Sudhagad Fort.
Tansa Lake Wildlife Sanctuary: Located between Mumbai and Nashik.
Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary: Vasai Creek separates it from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Mumbai).
Wan Wildlife Sanctuary: A part of Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.
Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary: Located in the Satpura Range to the west of Melghat Tiger Reserve.
Ramsar Sites of Maharashtra
Lonar Lake
Lonar Lake, also known as Lonar crater, is a saline and alkaline lake located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra.
It is situated inside the Deccan Plateau—a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions.
It is an oval shaped and has a mean diameter of 1.2 km. It is a popular tourist hub.
It is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument.
Geo-heritage refers to the geological features which are inherently or culturally significant offering insight to earth’s evolution or history to earth science or that can be utilized for education.
Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the parent body which is making efforts towards identification and protection of geo-heritage sites.
It is an endorheic (closed basin) crater lake formed by a meteorite impact.
It is believed to have been created over 52,000 years ago when a meteorite hit the Earth.
It is high in salinity and alkalinity due to the lack of an outflow.
Specialized micro-organisms such as anaerobes, cyanobacteria and phytoplankton survive in this harsh chemical environment. Recently, the colour of Lonar lake water had turned pink due to a large presence of the salt-loving haloarchaea microbes.
Haloarchaea or halophilic archaeais a bacteria culture that produces pink pigment and is found in water saturated with salt.
Nandur Madhameshwar Bird Sanctuary
Construction of the Nandur Madhameshwar Weir at the confluence of the Godavari and Kadwa Rivers helped create this thriving wetland.
The site hosts leopards and Indian Sandalwood (VU).
Species: Deolali Minnow Fish (CR), Indian Vulture (CR), White-Rumped Vulture (CR)
Thane Creek (Flamingo Sanctuary and IBA)
It is one of the largest creeks of Asia. It is fringed by mangroves on both banks.
It falls under the Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW) but is fed by numerous freshwater sources, making the water brackish. Ulhas River is the largest source of freshwater.
