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Sanctuary is located in Satara District in Western Maharashtra covering an area of 423.55-sq-km. Koyana wildlife sanctuary includes Eastern and Western catchments of Koyana dam. This dam is a major hydroelectric project centre in the Western Maharashtra. The sanctuary is well protected by the large extent of Shivasagar reservoir and steep Slopes of Western Ghats on both the sides. A vegetal cover corridor of Chandoli connects this protected area. It is bounded by Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary in south.
The land vegetation is southern tropical evergreen forests
and southern moist mixed deciduous forest. The major tree species are
Anjani, Jambul, Hirda, Awala, Pisa, Ain, Kinjal, Amba, Kumbha, Bhoma,
Chandala, Katak, Nana, Umbar, Jambha, Gela, Bibba etc. Karvi is found
almost all over the area. Tourist can find Climbers like Shikekai, and
Garambi; Medicinal plants such as Karvand, Vagati, Ranmiri, Tamalpati,
Toran, Dhayati, Kadipatta, Narkya, Murudsheng, etc; bulbs of seasonal
plants and quite a large number of ephemera's.
The santuary also hosts threatened and rare tree species such as Garambi
and Ran-Jaiphal. Some other species, which are not found anywhere and
highly threatened, are Dhup, Eupohoria Longan, and Elecoarpus Tectorium.
Tree giants like Harpullia Arborea & Turpunita Malbarica, which are
endemic to Western Ghats are also found in the protected area.
Animals found in this sanctuary are Tigers, Panthers,
Gaurs, Sloth Bears, Sambars, Barking Deers, Mouse Deers, Dholes, Gaint
Squirrels, Otters, Common Langoors, Pythons, and Cobras. Among the birds
are Heart Spotted, Rufous and Brown Capped Woodpeckers, Goshawk, Long
Tailed Nightjar and Fairy Bluebird. These are found very rarely in other
parts of Western Ghats.
Sanctuary also shelters a unique species Bufo Koyanansis, which is
habitat in this protected area. Best time to visit this santuary is during
October.
Air: Nearest Airport is Kolhapur
at 65-km from the sanctuary.
Rail: Nearest railway station is Kolhapur at 60-km from the
sanctuary.
Road: Nearest Bus station is Radhanagari at 55-km on
Kolhapur-Deogarh state highway.
Tourist can halt at Irrigation Department Rest house with permission from Executive Engineer, Koyana, Pophali, and Ratnagiri.