+List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in Maharashtra, IndiaSr. No. Name of SanctuaryPlace/ LocationKey Wildlife Species1Tipeshwar Wildlife SanctuaryYavatmal DistrictTiger Hotspot2Umred-Pauni- Karhandle Wildlife SanctuaryNagpur DistrictBengal Tiger3Nagzira Wildlife SanctuaryGondhia DistrictBengal Tiger4Bor Tiger ReserveAcross Wardha and Nagpur DistrictBengal Tiger5Melghat Wildlife SanctuaryAmravati DistrictForest Owlets, Bengal Tiger6Koka Wildlife SanctuaryBhandara DistrictBengal Tiger, Leopard7Bhamragarh Wildlife SanctuaryGadchiroli DistrictSloth Bear8Dnyanganga Wildlife SanctuaryBuldhana DistrictChital (Spotted Deer)9Katepurna Wildlife SanctuaryAkola DistrictLeopard10Mansingdeo Wildlife SanctuaryNagpur DistrictTiger11Chikaldara Wildliffe SanctuaryAmravati DistrictBengal Tiger12Painganga Wildliffe Sanctuarylocated across the Yavatmal and Nanded DistrictsLeopard13Karanja Sohol Wildlife SacntuaryWashim DistrictBlackbuck14Wan Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Akola and Amravati DistrictLeopard15Ambabarwa Wildlife SanctuaryBuldhana DistrictLeopard16Bhimashankar Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Pune and Raigad DistrictIndian Giant Squirrel17Koyna Wildlife SanctuarySatara DistrictLeopard18Radhanagari Wildlife SanctuaryKolhapur DistrictGaur ( Indian Bison)19Chandoli Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara and Ratnagiri DistrictLeopard20Mayureshwar Wildlife SanctuaryPune DistrictBlackbuck21Toranmal Wildlife SanctuaryNandurbar DistrictLeopard22Rehekuri Blackbuck SanctuarySolapur DistrictBlackbuck23Kalsubai – Harishchandragad Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Nashik, Ahmednagar (Ahilyanagar) and Pune DistrictLeopard24Supe Wildlife SanctuaryAhmednagar (Ahilyanagar)Blackbuck25Nannaj Wildlife SanctuarySolapur DistrictGreat Indian Bustard26Sagareshwar Wildlife SanctuarySangli DistrictBlackbuck27Gautala – Autramghat Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and Jalgoan DistrictLeopard28Jayakwadi Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and Beed DistrictMigratory Birds (Ex. Flamingos, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Common Pochard, etc.)29Nandur Madhameshwar Wildlife SanctuaryNashik DistrictMigratory Water Birds (Ex. Flamingos, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Black Tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, etc.)30Naygaon Wildlife SanctuaryBeed DistrictBlackbuck31Yedshi – Ramling Ghat Wildlife SanctuaryDharashiv (Osmanabad) DistrictLeopard32Malvan Marine Wildlife SanctuarySindhudurg DistrictCoral reefs and Marine Life33Phansad Wildlife SanctuaryRaigad DistrictIndian Giant Squirrel34Tansa Wildlife SanctuaryAcross Palghar and Thane DistrictLeopard35Karnala Wildlife SanctuaryRaigad DistrictBird ( Specially – Karnala Ashy Minivet)36Yawal Wildlife SanctuaryJalgaon DistrictLeopard References :
· https://www.thrillophilia.com/wildlife-sanctuaries-in-maharashtra
· https://mahaforest.gov.in/index.php/sanctuaries/index/en
· https://testbook.com/mpsc-preparation/wildlife-sanctuaries-in-maharashtra
The Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of Maharashtra state, India. It lies in the Satmala and Ajanta hill ranges of the Western Ghats, and administratively is in Aurangabad District and Jalgaon District. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1986 in an existing reserved forest area.
It covers a total area of with Reserved Forest Areas of 19706 ha. in Aurangabad and 6355.19 ha. in Jalgaon. Its name comes the nearby village of Gautala, which was itself named after Gautam Rishi, a Hindu ascetic mentioned in the Ramcharitmanas.
Inside the dense forest there is lake called gautala where some people used to be live and cattle grazing from which the place and forest named gautala Gau (Cow).
Wildlife There are many species of animals like reptiles, mammals, and insects found here. More than 240 various bird species live here including Spoonbill, Peafowl, and Crane. In sanctuary areas, there are also many ancient temples, caves, lakes, and waterfalls which are attracted by tourists. The wildlife is well protected by the Maharashtra government, announced this place as a sanctuary established in 1986.
Ecology The area has southern tropical dry deciduous forest with interspersed bush and grasslands.This topography supports wide variety of flora and fauna.
Fauna The wildlife include wide variety of animals. They are chinkara (Gazella bennettii), nilgai (antelope) (Boselaphus tragocamelus), sloth bears (Melursus ursinus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), brown palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni), muntjac (barking deer) (Muntiacus muntjak), hare (Lepus nigricollis), leopard, fox, jackal, bats, wild boar, gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus), and wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). Total 240 bird species have been observed in and around the sanctuary, among them are cranes, spoonbills, storks, ibis, pochards, peafowl, quail, partridges, and various species of wading birds. Snakes include the cobra (Naja naja), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), and rat snake (Ptyas mucosus).
Flora The hill tops in the sanctuary are grass lands where as most of the forest trees occur on the slopes.Trees include teak (Tectona grandis), anjan (Hardwickia binata), oil cake tree (Albizia amara), sandalwood (Santalum album), bel (Aegle marmelos), awla (Phyllanthus emblica), bhallatak (Semecarpus anacardium), and moha (Madhuca longifolia).
How to reach The sanctuary is well connected by road. It is about 75 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and 40 km from Chalisgaon city. The nearest rail head is Chalisgaon and airport is at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) also nearby towns Kannad City from where 2 to 3 Bus are available from Kannad in a day.
Features Pitalkhora caves, rock-cut, Buddhist caves, from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE Patnadevi Temple Mahadeva Temple Sita Khori a waterfall There are many temples, waterfalls, viewpoints and caves are present for tourists.
Notes