Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the northern region of Western Ghats. It covers the area of three districts i.e. of Pune, Raigad, and Thane. The sanctuary spreads over an area of around 131 km2 One can also see the famous Jyotirlinga temple of the god Shiva.

Thousands of devotees visit the place on the day of the Maha Shivaratri and also on weekdays. It is here that the two tributaries i.e. Ghod and Bhima of the river Krishna originate. Some chief places to see within the sanctuary are Nagphani Point, Vanaspati Point, Bombay Point, Gupt Bhimashankar. The time period between Octobers to May is the ideal time for visiting the place.

Flora- The natural vegetation of the place is mostly Southern tropical semi evergreen. There are various types of trees, plants, herbs, shrubs etc. found here. Some of the chief trees seen here are Mango, Hirda, Bamboo, Jamun, Behda etc.

Fauna- The sanctuary is a home to various species of animals like Leopards, Sambar, Hyena, Barking deer, Wild boar, Malabar giant squirrels and many more.

Avifauna- There are various species of birds like Black Eagle, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Grey Jungle Fowl, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Green Pigeon, and Quaker Babbler etc.