Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

Context

Tourists recently recorded a male Bengal tiger at Maharashtra’s Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary. This marks the first officially documented tiger sighting captured on camera by tourists in the sanctuary and highlights the presence of tigers in this protected landscape.

About Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

1. It is located in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, at the southern end of the Sahyadri Hills in the Western Ghats.
2. The area was formerly used as a hunting ground by the Maharaja of Kolhapur.
3. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 and was the first wildlife sanctuary established in Maharashtra.
4. It is also known as Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary and Bison Sanctuary.
5. Area: It covers more than 350 square kilometres of dense forests, grasslands and hilly terrain.
6. It was primarily established for the conservation of the Indian bison, or gaur.

Geography and Rivers

1. The sanctuary is situated in the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats.
2. The Bhogavati, Kallamma, Dudhganga, Dirba and Tulshi rivers flow through the sanctuary and join the Krishna River.
3. The Radhanagari Dam, located on the Bhogavati River, is an important water body that supports the local forest ecosystem.

Flora

1. The sanctuary contains tropical evergreen forests that are characteristic of the northern Western Ghats.
2. Important tree species include Ain, Anjani, Amba, Awala, Bhoma, Bibba, Chandala, Gela, Hirda, Jambul, Jambha, Kinjal, Kumbha, Katak, Nana, Pisa and Umbar,etc.

Fauna

1. Flagship species: The Indian bison, or gaur (Bos gaurus), is the flagship species of the sanctuary.
2. The sanctuary is home to leopards, sloth bears, tigers, barking deer, mouse deer, sambar, giant squirrels and wild dogs.
3. It is recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
4. It supports the globally threatened Nilgiri wood pigeon, Ceylon frogmouth, yellow-browed bulbul, dusky eagle-owl, Malabar grey hornbill, great pied hornbill and Malabar whistling thrush.

FAQs

Q1. Where is Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary located?

Ans: It is located in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, in the southern part of the Sahyadri Hills.

Q2. Why is it called the Bison Sanctuary?

Ans: It is called the Bison Sanctuary because it was established primarily for the conservation of the Indian bison, also known as the gaur.

Q3. When was Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary established?

Ans: It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 and was the first wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra.

Q4. Which rivers flow through the sanctuary?

Ans: The Bhogavati, Kallamma, Dudhganga, Dirba and Tulshi rivers flow through the sanctuary and join the Krishna River.

Q5. Which is the flagship species of the sanctuary?

Ans: The Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) is its flagship species.

Q6. Is Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary an Important Bird Area?

Ans: Yes. It is recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.