sanctuary

Phansad
Wildlife Sanctuary

Roha, Maharashtra, India

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary

Established in: 1986, Area: 69.79km²

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary was created to preserve some of the coastal woodland ecosystem of the Western Ghats and consists of forest, grasslands and wetlands. The sanctuary is rich in flora and fauna. The forest types are semi-evergreen, evergreen , Mixed deciduous and dry deciduous forests. The area was once part of the hunting reserves of the princely state of Murud-Janjira. There are four main trails through the sanctuary that takes in the main waterholes, Gunyacha Maal, Chikhalgaan and Phansadgaan, that are some of the best places to see wildlife. The Sacred Groves is located near Supegaon. Pockets of open grassland, called mals, occur throughout the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has a small population of Indian giant squirrel which is fragmented from the Western ghats. The fauna include 16 species of mammals, 62 species of birds, 17 reptiles, 47 incests and 27 marine invertibrates. The White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) which is noted as critically endangered is also found in the sanctuary. The forest on the top hill of the sanctuary are evergreen which include mostly Anjan (Memecylon umbellatum), Phansada (Garcinia talbootii) while those on the slopes are dry deciduous which include ain, kinjal, teak, hirda, jamba, mango, and various ficus. The sanctuary has 710 species of Plants which include 179 species of trees, 66 shrubs and 141 herbs

How to reach
The Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is located 140 km from Mumbai and is best approachable by road from Murud-Janjira and Roha. The nearest rail head is Roha.
Best Time To Visit
Anytime between October to April for a truly pleasant experience accompanied by wonderful weather.
Things to do
The sanctuary is popular destination for trekking and birding. Those keen on trekking can explore a nature trail located at Supegaon and visit the Nature Interpretation Centre at Majgaon. There are 4 major nature trails in the sanctuary, passing through various habitats, providing an opportunity to experience the wild life.