Explore Top Wildlife Sanctuary Near Pune-2023!

Pune Located in the western central part of India, Maharashtra is famously known as “The gateway to India”.  Maharashtra has a lot of wildlife sanctuaries that are home to hundreds of wildlife species, some even endangered and vulnerable.

The culture and beauty of  Maharashtra make its name.  The greenery and natural phenomena of Maharashtra add to its wonders. In addition to other factors, the location of the western ghats in Maharashtra adds to its diversity in flora and fauna. 

There are a lot of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries present in India which makes it home to a lot of endangered and vulnerable species including the Bengal tiger, Indian giant squirrels, Leopard, Jungle fowl, Sloth bear, etc.

Multiple migratory birds visit sanctuaries in Maharashtra as well as the fascinating history of each wildlife sanctuary. Here are some of the Wildlife Sanctuaries that can be visited with your kith and kin to enjoy nature.

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is on the premises of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. This Wildlife Sanctuary is home to the state animal of Maharashtra, the Indian giant squirrel which is endangered.

The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across three districts of Maharashtra Pune, Thane, and Raigad With an area of 131 square kilometers. The location of the Sanctuary automatically ensures safe and effective travel to and fro the Wildlife Sanctuary. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Western Ghats.

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as an IBA (Important Bird Area) as the reserve is home to globally threatened species, many restricted range species, two critical range species, various vulnerable species, and near-threatened species of aviaries. 

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary: In #Pune dist. It's an exotic abode of multiple hues of flora & a wide variety of fauna & is a natural habitat par excellenc. It is home to #BlackEagle, Grey Jungle Fowl etc.#VisitMaharashtra#SanctuariesInMaharashtra

Video Courtesy: AVF World pic.twitter.com/Q8cAImKIK1

— MAHA INFO CENTRE (@micnewdelhi) August 18, 2019

The Pune airport is located 102km away from the Sanctuary. The Pune railway station is 106 km away from the reserve. An extremely scenic experience awaits when the travel is done by road. There is the availability of a bus service to and fro the reserve frequently for tourists.

The best time to visit Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is the time frame from October to February which provides the best climatic condition suitable for travel. During those times, the temperature ranges between 13 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius. 

Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary is a world heritage site that is situated in the southern part of Sahyadri hills. It was the first Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharastra with an area of 351.2 square km. The seasonal flowers and the wide variety of wildlife ranging from vulnerable mammals and rich bird life adds to the beauty of the place. This is one of the best Wildlife Sanctuary Near Pune.

The railway station nearest to Radhanagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is Karad which is 40 km away. There is a bus service that is available for the tourist. The Kolhapur domestic airport is just 80 km away from the Radhanagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. You can even opt for a road trip using private vehicles. 

The Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary remains closed from June to October. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from November to February.

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its natural environment. Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the smallest Wildlife sanctuaries in the world with a total area of 5.14 square km. The Wildlife Sanctuary is a home for Indian Gazelle, Striped Hyena, Indian Grey Wolf, Indian Fox, and multiple birds.

You can get to Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary by rail, air, and road means. The Pune airport is just 80 km away, while the Pune railway station is just 70 km away. In addition to this, Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary has located just 70m km away from Pune city

The best time to visit Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is from late August to February since the weather is not too harsh and the scenery can be enjoyed perfectly at that time.

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary was created to preserve some of the coastal woodland ecosystems of the western ghat. There is a vast biodiversity with even the presence of dry deciduous forests, grasslands, evergreen forests, and the coast seen in Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is also known for the number of species found there.

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is in Raigad district which is 100 km away from Mumbai which makes it easy for air commute. The nearest railway station is in Roha which is 30 km away from Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Then, people should reach Roha, Murud Talukas since that is the exact location of Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. The nearest bus stop to Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is 50 km away. Therefore the bus is not the best option.

The best time to visit the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is anywhere between November and March since the weather is not harsh and the trails and the coastal woodland would be shown.

Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary

Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1985. It is located in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is enclosed in the western ghats. Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary has an area of 423.55 square km. The northern portion of Sayadri Tiger Range is formed by the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary has diverse fauna because of the multiple altitudes present ranging from western ghat mountain rain forest and western ghat moist deciduous forest.

There are a lot of threatened species of fauna present in the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. There are a diverse variety of mammals in Koyna including the Bengal tiger which is a keystone species. Indian leopards, Indian Goar, Sloth bears, Sambar deer, barking deer, etc are some of the other mammals found in the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The closest railway station to get to the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary is Kohlapur railway station which is 60 km away from the destination. The closest bus stop to get to the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary is the Radhanagiri bus stop which is 55km away. The Mumbai airport is 110 km away from the destination. The most suitable travel method would be taking your own vehicle if not coming from afar. 

The best time to visit Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary would be anywhere between August and October. It would be possible to enjoy light showers and you will not be affected by the heavy monsoon or extreme climate changes.

Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. This is located in the Sangli district of Maharashtra. Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a man-made sanctuary. The forest was artificially cultivated and the animals found here were introduced artificially. It has an overall area of 10.87 square km. 

The Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is quite forested. The protection of grazing and prevention and absence of forest fires have led to the vegetation being a regeneration of dry deciduous plants.

The caretakers have introduced multiple plants some medicinal into the wildlife sanctuary. There are several types of deer, wild boars, and peacock present in the sanctuary. There are even carnivores like foxes and porcupines present in the Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The best time to visit Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is from August to February when the monsoon has subsided and the weather is not too hot. 

Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary

Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1986. It is spread across the Aurangabad district and Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra. The Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary has an overall area of 26.06 square km. 

The Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary is mainly a tropical dry deciduous forest. The forest is dense and rich with lots of vegetation. The sanctuary is also rich with its wide variety of animals. Around 240 bird species have been found in and around the sanctuary. There are even reptiles like cobra and rat snakes present.

The railway station nearest to Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary is Chalisgaon which is 8.4 km away from the sanctuary. There is a bus service from the city to the Wildlife Sanctuary which is approximately 65 to 70 km away. The Aurangabad domestic airport is the closest airport which is not more than 100 km away. You can also take your vehicle inside. 

The best time to visit the Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary is the time between January and March. The climate is comparatively moderate and winter would be at its peak which makes it a memorable experience. 

Chandoli Wildlife Sanctuary

Chandoli was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and later in May 2004, it was established as Chandoli National Park. It is situated in the district of Sangli in Maharashtra. It has an area of 741.22 square km.

Chandoli National Park is the southern part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. The forest of Chandoli Wildlife Sanctuary is a mixture of the Malabar Coast moist forest and northwestern Ghats moist deciduous forest. There are also around 23 species of mammals which include tigers, 122 species of birds, and 20 species of reptiles and amphibians which are known.

Since Chandoli is a National Park now, it is not easy to visit the National park. Special forms have to be filled and some restrictions have to be followed strictly. The nearest railway station is the Sangli railway station. The Kolhapur airport is just 30km away from the national park. There are bus services available and private vehicles could be taken but only forest vehicles are allowed inside. 

The best time to visit the Chandoli National Park is October to February when the monsoon is over, but the heat has not taken over. 

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary

Sanjay Gandhi national park which is also known as SGNP was established in 1969. It spreads across the Thane district and the Mumbai suburban district in Maharashtra. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park has an area of 87 square km. Its headquarters is in Borivali. 

A southern mixed deciduous forest is seen in SGNP. There are a lot of animals present here which are most vulnerable and endangered. The Kanheri caves are in the central part of SGNP which also encourages pilgrims to visit the place. 

Transportation to these areas is easy since the SGNP is very close to Mumbai City. Mumbai City is only 22.4 km away from the SGNP. 

The best time to spot birds is from October to April. However, if you are looking for butterflies, the best time to visit is from August to November. 

Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary

Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 2008. This Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra. It covers an area of 365.16 square km. This wildlife sanctuary is located around a lagoon that was formed by the impact of a meteorite around 50,000 years ago. 

The Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary is a Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest. The wildlife sanctuary is rich in greenery. There are migratory birds that appear in the Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary between October and March every year. There are at least 1250 temples around Lonar Lake. 

The nearest railway station is Jalna town which is 84 km away from the Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Aurangabad airport is 150 km away from the Sanctuary. There is a bus service available to the Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The best time to visit the Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary is November to January since the Climate is pleasant and migratory birds are present in the sanctuary around that time.

Conclusion

Maharashtra is home to plenty of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks. There are even man-made Wildlife Sanctuaries present there which shows the passion towards wildlife and nature and its conservation in the general public. It is better to avoid a harsh climate to enjoy the journey. These Wildlife Sanctuaries are open for tourists to enjoy. 

Read More:

Explore Top Tourist Destinations & Hill Stations Near Pune!

Explore Pune: Sprawling City In Western India, Maharashtra!