One of the youngest and smallest wildlife sanctuary which is around 80Kms from Nagpur near Bhandara. Though the area is very small of about 90 sqkm, the forest is rich in trees, wild animals and birds. The park is open from 6:30 to 10:30 in the morning and 3 to 6 in the evening. It is closed on Thursday and in monsoon. There is entry fee and fees for camera, vehicle and guide. Gypsies are not available and one has to take own vehicle inside the sanctuary. This status may change so its better to check before planning to avoid last minute confusion. Please do online booking before visiting and carry your ID cards.
The forest is dense and hence it is difficult to spot wild animals. We went in the month of May and it was green all around. Driving inside the jungle is itself an amazing experience but one has to be cautious with the ground clearance and roadside bushes which may print minor scratches on the car.
Doves, Myna, small green bee eater, robin, babblers were all around. As we were moving around some white feather fled by us and to our surprise it was Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Beautiful avian species it is and he both male and female were having joyous time together. We clicked few pics and moved ahead near a small lake.
Black Ibis were having breakfast nearby lake and a pair of Oriental Honey Buzzard were quenching their thirst. A stone curlew and a family of Fulvous whisteling ducks were having a troll lakeside. Amazing trail for the bird lovers.
Then we had a small round around the jungle to spot any wild animals and to our surprise one sloth bear was staring at us. With goosebumps we moved ahead to spot a herd of bison. As we were moving towards the lake again wild dogs called as “Dhole” crossed our path. They are amongst the endangered species with the population of around 2300 in the world. We moved slowly and to our surprise we were witnessing a deer chase by wild dogs. It was a terrific experience which gave us goosebumps. The deer was chased by 5-6 dogs may be for breakfast but he was swift enough to ditch them. But at the end of the chase he found himself in the marshes of lake and dogs surrounding the frightened deer but could not entered the marsh. No one moved for a long time including our vehicle to watch for the result but we had to go as the park time was about to close. We don’t know whether the dogs got their breakfast or little deer got the life but we got to witness the experience which will remain in our mind for years to come. Happy Traveling!!!
Black Ibis Stone Curlew Pair of Oriental Honey Buzzard Family of Fulvous Whistling Duck Wild Dogs….Dhole Sloth Bear Bison…Indian Gaur Asian Paradise Flycatcher (F) Asian Paradise Flycatcher (M)
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