The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is a 208.5-km
2 (80.5-mi
2)
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
in the
Western Ghats of
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
. It is located in the
North Goa District
North Goa district is one of the two districts that constitutes the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of , and is bounded by Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra state to the north and by Belgavi district of Karnataka t ...
,
Sattari
Sattari (''Sot'tori'', pronounced ; ) is a sub-district of North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. The headquarters of Sattari taluka is Valpoi (वाळपई) municipal council. It lies in the north-eastern region of Goa where it is ...
taluka near the town of
Valpoi
Valpoi or Valpoy (''Vallpoi'', pronounced ) is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is the headquarters of the Sattari Taluk. The Western Ghats are to the east of the town.
According to the aut ...
.
The sanctuary is an area of high
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
, and is being considered to become a
Project Tiger
Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, protecti ...
tiger reserve
Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, protectin ...
because of the presence of
Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna.
The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...
s.
Infrastructure
The sanctuary is administered by the Goa State Forest Department.
The
range forest officer of Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is Vishwas Chodankar. The RFO office is near the Forest Department office in Valpoi. The sanctuary is protected by 11 forest guards under the supervision of three round foresters. The sanctuary is divided into 16
beats with the three round foresters stationed in
Kodal
Kodal is a village and parish in Sandefjord municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. Kodal is mostly a rural area, with a population of 971 as of 2014. It is located ten kilometers north of Sandefjord city center and eleven miles south of the tow ...
,
Charavane and
Caranzol in Sattari taluka. The sanctuary office has a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a motorcycle for patrolling.
There are no public tourist facilities in the sanctuary, but there are Forest Department rest houses at Valpoi and Keri.
There is an Irrigation Department rest house above the Anjunem Dam. The Anjunem Dam is located on the
Sanquelim
Sanquelim or Sankhali is a town and municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa.
Geography
Sanquelim is situated in the Bicholim Taluka of North Goa. It is located at and it has an average elevation of 78 metres (2 ...
-
Belgaum
Belgaum (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma''; also Belgaon and officially known as Belagavi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located in its northern part along the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous ...
highway
SH-31 in Chorla ghat at about from
Sanquelim
Sanquelim or Sankhali is a town and municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa.
Geography
Sanquelim is situated in the Bicholim Taluka of North Goa. It is located at and it has an average elevation of 78 metres (2 ...
town.
There are three private ecoresorts in Chorla ghat,
the Wildernest Nature Conservation Facility, the Eco Adventure Resort, and the Swapnagandha Resort.
Geography
Goa is the only state in India which has protected the complete Western Ghats' section within a state. Goa's four wildlife sanctuaries are located on the eastern side of the state in the
Western Ghats, covering an area of about .
The Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and
Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park
Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park is a protected area located in the Western Ghats of West India, in Dharbandora taluk, Goa State, along the eastern border with Karnataka. The area is situated near the town of Molem, east of ...
all fall within the Mhadei River basin. The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located between 15° 48" 33' to 14° 53" 54' N and 74° 20" 13' to 73° 40" 33' E.
Elevations among the hills of the sanctuary range from in the center to in the west. The sanctuary includes the Vagheri Hills, some of the highest peaks in North Goa. Vagheri peak at elevation, the highest in the sanctuary, is near the village of Keri in
Sanquelim
Sanquelim or Sankhali is a town and municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa.
Geography
Sanquelim is situated in the Bicholim Taluka of North Goa. It is located at and it has an average elevation of 78 metres (2 ...
.
Other peaks in Goa include
Sonsogor, the highest in Goa at , Catlanchimauli , Vaguerim and Morlemchogar.
A unique discovery of the Vagheri hills is the presence of a flowing lake or waterbody shaped in the exact map of India, midway to climbing the hill while looking down at the valley.
The Mhadei River, known downstream as the
Mandovi River
The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins wi ...
, the lifeline of the state of Goa, originates in Karnataka, travels in Karnataka, passes through the Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and meets the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
at
Panaji
Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river estuary ...
after traveling in Goa.
See map showin
riversin Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary.
Waterfalls
Mhadei Sanctuary is noted for its many waterfalls, especially the twin
Vazra Sakla waterfalls and the Virdi Falls in the Chorla Ghats region on the
escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
of the Goa-Maharashtra-Karnataka border in the Swapnagandha valley forest near
Virdi village.
The 16 waterfalls at up from Hivre village are from the Valpoi.
The Ladkyacho Vozar
plunge waterfall, northeast of Surla, Goa's highest village is at Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, and
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in South-Eastern Goa, India. It constitutes one of the vital corridors of the Western Ghats and covers an area of about 211km2. Netravali or Neturli is an important tributary of River Zuari, which origi ...
is located just to the south of Mhadei in Goa.
Fauna
This region is part of the Western Ghats landscape, and is regarded as a Global
Biodiversity Hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after which the co ...
.
Other
mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s seen in the sanctuary include the
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
black panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
(rare),
sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...
(rare, occasional sightings near caves and grasslands),
gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...
(commonly sighted near the grasslands, in forest clearings, and near water),
barking deer
Barking may refer to:
Places
* Barking, London, a town in East London, England
** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking
** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...
(commonly sighted near forest clearings and waterholes),
sambar deer
The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...
(occasionally sighted on grasslands and main roads),
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
(extremely rare),
ruddy mongoose
The ruddy mongoose (''Urva smithii'') is a mongoose species native to hill forests in India and Sri Lanka.
Description
The ruddy mongoose's fur is brownish and coarse, long in hindquarters, but short in other parts of the body. Its head to body ...
(frequently sighted at daybreak and dusk on forest paths),
Asian palm civet
The Asian palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad range ...
(commonly sighted on main roads and near village settlements),
small Indian civet
The small Indian civet (''Viverricula indica'') is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agr ...
(commonly sighted on main roads,
dhole
The dhole (''Cuon alpinus''; ) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. It ...
(rarely sighted transient mammal in the forests),
jungle cat
The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat, swamp cat and jungle lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, littora ...
(extremely rare, sighted by researchers and locals on a few occasions),
mouse deer
Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only f ...
(rare, occasional sightings on trails),
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
(frequently sighted at dawn and dusk),
Indian hare
The Indian hare (''Lepus nigricollis''), also known as the black-naped hare, is a common species of hare native to the Indian subcontinent, and Java.
Introductions
It has been introduced to Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Andaman Islands, Irian Jay ...
(commonly sighted on the plateaux),
giant squirrel
Oriental giant squirrels are cat-sized tree squirrels from the genus ''Ratufa'' in the subfamily Ratufinae. They are a distinctive element of the fauna of south and southeast Asia.
Species
There are four living species of oriental giant squirre ...
(documented in the forests),
flying squirrel
Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they ar ...
(a nocturnal mammal, documented in dense evergreen forests),
black-faced langur (commonly found in small groups in the tree canopy),
Indian pangolin
The Indian pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata''), also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent.
Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. The colo ...
(rarely found in secondary forests),
slender loris
The slender lorises (''Loris'') are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka. The genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India. Slender lorises spend most of their ...
(rare and endangered),
bonnet macaque
The bonnet macaque (''Macaca radiata''), also known as zati,Chambers English Dictionary is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along wi ...
(commonly found in troupes).
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is an
International Bird Area (IN177) which satisfies IBA criterion: A1. Globally threatened species, A2. Restricted-range species and A3. Biome-restricted species. IBA trigger species here are:
Nilgiri wood-pigeon
The Nilgiri wood pigeon (''Columba elphinstonii'') is large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They are ...
,
Malabar parakeet,
Malabar grey hornbill
The Malabar gray hornbill (''Ocyceros griseus'') is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found main ...
,
grey-headed bulbul
The grey-headed bulbul (''Brachypodius priocephalus'') is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in south-western India, and found from Goa south to Tamil Nadu at altitudes up to 1200m. It is found in ...
,
rufous babbler
The rufous babbler (''Argya subrufa'') is an endemic species of bird found in the Western Ghats of southern India of the family Leiothrichidae It is dark brown and long tailed, and is usually seen foraging in noisy groups along open hillsides ...
,
white-bellied blue-flycatcher and
crimson-backed sunbird.
A total of 255 bird species have been recorded in the Sanctuary. Of these, 53 showed direct signs of breeding here.
Snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
s found in the Mhadei Valley, including the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, include all of the
"Big Four" venomous snakes in India:
Indian krait
The common krait (''Bungarus caeruleus''), also known as Bengal krait, is a species of highly venomous elapid snake of the genus '' Bungarus'' native to the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "Big Four" species that inflict the most snak ...
,
Russell’s viper
Russell's viper (''Daboia russelii''), is a venomous snake in the family Viperidae native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the big four snakes in India. It was described in 1797 by George Shaw and Frederick Polydore Nodder, and named aft ...
,
saw-scaled viper
''Echis'' (common names: saw-scaled vipers, carpet vipersSpawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. .) is a genus of vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle Eas ...
,
spectacled cobra
The Indian cobra (''Naja naja''), also known as the spectacled cobra, Asian cobra, or binocellate cobra, is a species of cobra found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and a member of the "big four" species that are ...
, plus:
banded kukri snake There are two species of snake named banded kukri snake:
* ''Oligodon arnensis''
* ''Oligodon signatus''
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