3 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries near Kolhapur

At a distance of 55 km from Kolhapur, Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located at Dajipur in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. Also known as Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary, it is one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra, and among the must include places in Kolhapur trip for wildlife enthusiasts.

Nestled in the southern end of the Sahyadri hills in the Western Ghats, Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary was the former hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Kolhapur. Among the prime places to visit near Kolhapur, it was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in1958 and is the first declared wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra. In 1985, the Government of Maharashtra expanded the sanctuary by declaring additional areas of forest including the catchment basins of Kalammawadi Reservoir (Rajarshi Shahu Sagar Reservoir) and Radhanagari Dam & Reservoir (Laxmi Sagar Reservoir) as Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary. The total area of the sanctuary is 351 sq. km. Popularly known in the state as Bison Sanctuary, it is a natural World Heritage Site of category ix and x since 2012.

Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary contains tropical evergreen forests typical of the northern Western Ghats. About 425 species of plants have been recorded in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to 47 species of mammals, ...

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At a distance of 30 km from Karad, 49 km from Sangli, and 64 km from Kolhapur, Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a Deer sanctuary situated at Deorashtre in the Sangli district of Maharashtra. It is one of the prominent sanctuaries in Maharashtra, and among the popular places to visit near Kolhapur.

Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a man-made sanctuary located at the meeting of Kadegaon, Waluva, and Palus tehsils of Sangli district. Covering over an area of 10.87 sq. km, this is an artificially cultivated forest without a perennial supply of water, and most of the wildlife species were artificially introduced. This protected area was previously declared as a forest park, then Sagaroba game reserve in 1980, and thereafter, in 1985, it became Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary when approximately 52 animals were set free in the area.

The sanctuary is forested, but with grassy hill slopes. Large animals found in the sanctuary include several types of deer (Sambar Deer, Blackbucks, Muntjac, Chital) as well as wild boar and peacocks. Small carnivores like hyena, fox, and porcupines are also found in the area. A large number of insects, birds, and reptiles such as pythons and other snakes are also present. The most popular tourist activity is hiking to the top of a hill in the sanctuary, from which one can see the Krishna River flowing through fields of sugarcane and grapevines.

The Sagareshwar sanctuary has much religious, cultural, and archaeological significance ...

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At a distance of 22 km from Solapur, the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary situated at Nannaj near Solapur. Also known as the Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary, it is one of the famous wildlife places in Maharashtra, and among the must-include places in Solapur packages.

The Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary is one of those exclusive places in India which is the home to gigantic and enormously beautiful Indian Bustards (Ardeotis nigriceps). The sanctuary happened to be discovered by B.S. Kulkarni in the year 1972. The Government of Maharashtra declared the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary as a wildlife reserve with the sole objective of conserving the rarest species of Great Indian Bustard in 1979. Even the late Dr. Salim Ali, India's best-known ornithologist, paid a visit here for some research. Many efforts have been made by famous ornithologists and bird lovers for the protection of the sanctuary.

Maharashtra is one of the six states of India where great Indian Bustards are still seen. The other states are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary, spread across an original area of 8,469 sq. km, covers the area of North Solapur, Madha, Mohol and Karmala Talukas of Solapur district and Karjat, Shrigonda, Newasa Talukas of Ahmednagar district. The sanctuary headquarters are Nannaj and Rehekuri.

The sanctuary is barren, deserted yet extremely beautiful, ...

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