Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, 2 h 38 min (107.6 km) via SH31 (from Belgavi).
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North Goa District, Sanguem taluka near the town of Valpoi.
Anjunem Keri Dam is located on the Sanquelim - Belgaum highway SH-31 in Chorla ghat at about 10 km from Sanquelim town.
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary lies between these co-ordinates:
15° 48" 33' to 14° 53" 54' N and 74° 20" 13' to 73° 40" 33' E.
Area: 208.5 km2
Major Attractions
The sanctuary houses a wide range of wildlife along with a variety of bird species making it a bird watcher’s paradise.
Well known for its semi green and evergreen forests, this protected wildlife region of Goa is an adventurous place to pay a visit.
Fauna
Bird Watchers’ Paradise Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is an International Bird Area and is home to a number of globally threatened species.
Sanctuary has recorded a total of 255 bird species out of which 53 showed direct signs of breeding here.
You will find Indian gaur, the official state animal of Goa, Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Grey-headed Bulbul, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Blue-flycatcher, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Malabar flying frog, Glassy tiger in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Other mammals seen in the sanctuary include: black panther (rare), sloth bear (rare, occasional sightings near caves and grasslands), barking deer (commonly sighted near forest clearings and waterholes), Sambhar deer (occasionally sighted on grasslands and main roads), common leopard (extremely rare), ruddy mongoose (frequently sighted at daybreak and dusk on forest paths), Asian palm civet (commonly sighted on main roads and near village settlements), small Indian civet (commonly sighted on main roads, dhole (rarely sighted transient mammal in the forests), jungle cat (extremely rare, sighted by researchers and locals on a few occasions), mouse deer (rare, occasional sightings on trails), wild boar (frequently sighted at dawn and dusk), Indian hare (commonly sighted on the plateaux), giant squirrel (documented in the forests), flying squirrel (a nocturnal mammal, documented in dense evergreen forests), black-faced langur (commonly found in small groups in the tree canopy), Indian pangolin (rarely found in secondary forests), slender loris (rare and endangered) and bonnet macaque (commonly found in troupes).
Snakes found in Sanctuary include all of the "Big Four" venomous snakes in India, Indian krait, Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper, spectacled cobra, apart from banded Kukri snake, banded racer, Beddome’s keelback, black slender coral snake, Brahminy blind snake, checkered keelback, collared cat snake, common bronzeback, common Indian cat snake, common sand boa, common wolf snake, common vine snake, copper-headed trinket snake, green pit viper, hump-nosed pit viper, Indian rat snake, Indian rock python, king cobra, Malabar pit viper, monocled cobra, ocellated shield tail, ornate flying snake, red sand boa, Sri Lankan cat snake, streaked Kukri snake, striped keelback, Travancore wolf snake, tree snake, Whitaker's sand boa and the yellow-spotted wolf snake.
Endemic species of amphibians in the sanctuary include the endangered marbled ramanella, the vulnerable Maharashtra bush frog, Beddome's leaping frog (Beddome’s Indian frog) and Malabar gliding frog.
Mhadei area is also known for three rare species of caecilians (legless amphibians), Nadkarni's caecilian, the Mhadei caecilian and the Goa caecilian.
At least 257 recorded species of butterflies are found in the sanctuary of the 330 recorded species in the Western Ghats.
The largest butterfly in South India, the southern birdwing plus the stripped tiger, common jezebel, common Indian crow, blue Mormon and other species of butterflies are found here.
Prominent among these is the blue tiger butterfly, which can be found until the summer.
Flora
Sacred groves were once common at almost all villages in Sattari. They traditionally render protection to a variety of flora and fauna.
Copardem, three kilometres from Valpoi, is a village famed for the sacred grove tradition known locally as Devachi rai, a tradition of community conservation carried out in the name of the local deity.
Formerly spread across 37,620 m2 of government land, much of the sacred grove is now encroached upon for cashew plantations and agriculture.
The sacred grove is an excellent example of the old tradition of uneducated villagers protecting their environment.
Among its variety of flora are towering trees such as shidam (Tetrameles nudiflora) which support various other life forms in the grove.
Creepers like garkani (Entada scandens) with their sword-like pods are found on the shidam, while the tree also houses beehives.
The grove also has an evergreen species of Ashoka, which bears unique saffron-coloured flowers.
Pandanus furcatus, known locally known as kegadi, attracts village women when it bears flowers covered in yellow and soft thickets.
During the monsoon, bioluminescent fungi growing on dead wood glitter at night.
The grove is also conducive for the growth of a variety of edible mushrooms, such as roen alami, khutyali, sonyali and shringar.
In addition to mammals, the tall trees attract birds, including the crested serpent eagle, Malabar grey hornbill and pied hornbill.
Nanoda village, 11 km from Valpoi has two sacred groves out of which one lies on the border of Maloli and Nanoda and the other in Nanoda.
The latter is slowly being weathered away by changing values and encroachments.
In the past, large areas of forest land were protected through sacred groves such as Nirankarachi Rai.
One would find various species of indigenous trees in these groves and no one dared cut a tree.
In this way, villagers ensured their protection.
The densely forested groves were also used by villagers to keep sculptures of village deities.
Today, because of encroachments, the size of the groves has decreased, while the sculptures lie exposed to the vagaries of nature.
Nanoda's Nirankarachi Rai, formerly spread across a large area, is now confined to a small patch where the vulnerable species hedu (satinwood), khait (Mimosa catechu), and chafara (red frangipani) trees are found.
Majestic trees such as bhillo maad (coconut) have already been felled. Animals such as sheryo (pangolin) and shekaro (Malabar giant squirrel) are found in sacred groves.
Attractions
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is an area of high biodiversity and may soon become a Tiger reserve because of the presence of resident Bengal tigers.
Although tiger sightings are extremely rare, the thrill and anticipation of coming across one will pull you towards exploring this area one weekend.
Driving up this unique natural landscape, dotted with waterfalls and hills, peaks and valleys, is an experience in itself.
The three highest peaks in Goa are situated in the hill ranges of the sanctuary.
They are Sonsogod (1027 mts), Talavche Sada (812 mts) and Vageri (725 mts), which actually means, ‘abode of tiger’.
The whole sanctuary acts as a catchment for the river.
Most of the area has succumbed to the biotic pressure with agriculture and human interference replacing the rich natural vegetation of the past by cashew / kumeri cultivation.
The vegetation of the area is mostly semi evergreen moist and dry deciduous type with pockets of evergreen forest on its northern extremity. Current documentation indicates the presence of many rare and endangered plant species.
Forestation and Sacred Groves One of the 25 mega biodiversity hot spots in the world, the sanctuary harbors more than a thousand species of flowering plants and a vast variety of endemic orchids.
The high precipitation here results in luxuriant forests and highly economically valuable tree species, canes, bamboos, ferns, epiphytes, lichens, orchids, microbes and micro-organisms which are found in abundance.
A number of sacred groves are known to exist here.
The Mhadei River, known downstream as the Mandovi River, the lifeline of the state of Goa, originates in Karnataka, passes 9.4 km through the Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and meets the Arabian Sea at Panaji in Goa.
Other Attractions
Mhadei Sanctuary is noted for its many waterfalls, especially the twin Vazra Sakla waterfalls and the Virdi Falls in the Chorla Ghats region in the Swapnagandha valley forest near Virdi village.
Vazra Sakla falls are one of the most distinguishing landmarks of the region.
These water of these falls is fed by the Haltar nullah and joins the Valvanti River in Virdi village of Maharashtra.
The rock faces and cliffs that envelop the Vazra falls are home and nesting grounds of Critically Endangered long-billed vultures.
The spectacular Ladkyacho Vozar plunge waterfall is treat to eyes.
Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary are located south of Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa.Best Time to Visit
The ideal time to visit this sanctuary is between the months of October to March.
During this period the weather is pleasant and very little chances of rains.Facilities for river rafting are available as well as camp-stays. Numerous wildlife species as Indian Gaur, the state animal of Goa, sloth bears, wild dogs, panthers, deer, mongooses and slender loris may be spotted here. The sanctuary is also a bird watcher’s paradise and houses many endangered species of birds and a huge variety of butterflies too.
Best Time to Visit-Morning, Evening
Facilities-Washrooms
Recommended Hours-Min. 4 hours
Best Visited With-Group, Solo, Family
Allowed-Footwear, Camera, Video
Entry Fees- Free
