Nagzira wildlife sanctuary

Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary is located between Bhandara and Gondia district of Maharashtra. Nagzira derived its’ name from the temple of ‘Naag’ (Snake) which is situated in the middle of the sanctuary alongwith a temple of Mahadev and ‘Zira’ (Zara) in Marathi means a perennial source of water that comes out from a hill in Pongezara. It is rightly known as the ‘Green Oasis’ lying in the easternmost part of Maharashtra and it is very important in terms of bio-diversity conservation. Nagzira is adorned with picturesque landscape and gives travellers to explore and enjoy nature in its’ purest form. In the year 1970, with an area of 116.54 sq. km. – it was declared a wildlife sanctuary. In the year 2012, state government announced to merge this sanctuary with another national park to include it in “Saving Tiger” project. This sanctuary is home to many endangered species and has a number of fish, 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four species of amphibians. Nagzira has a diverse plant community, with major forest type being “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest”. Owing to its’ varied topography, it possesses teak forests, mixed forests with thorny plants, grasslands, bamboo forests and other trees. It is truly a treat for botanists and nature lovers. All these factors make Nagzira one of the favourite wildlife safaris. For most of the year, temperature in Nagzira is moderate and pleasant. However, it receives sufficient rainfall during monsoon and the sanctuary remains closed for tourists during this period i.e. from July till September.

So what are you waiting for? Plan your trip to Nagzira now and get ready to explore the wild amidst the ‘Green Oasis’ of Maharashtra.

Information:

Best time to visit: October – May

Size: 152.8 sq. km.

Forest Type: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest

Mammals on focus: Tiger, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Gaur, Four Horned Antelope, Mouse Deer, Pangolin

Birds on focus: “Bar-headed Goose” which is a winter migrant from Ladakh and Tibet inhabits Chorkhamara tank located adjoining the sanctuary