We drove to the Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary Kolhapur, a short distance from the dam. Wildlife has always been something that I like and wildlife photography is my passion. So in a way coming to this park was something I have been looking forward to for a while. The sun was shining brightly and it was the perfect time to visit the wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary was right at the southern part of the Sahyadri Hills, a part of the Western Ghats. This was the first sanctuary to be declared so in the state of Maharashtra. We entered the sanctuary along with a lot of other tourists. It seemed the place was a quite popular one, especially among the wildlife enthusiasts and photographers.
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary Kolhapur | Image Resource : i3.photobucket.com
There are a couple of temples in the sanctuary. One of them is the Shiva Temple, and it is a well-known pilgrimage location in the state. The temple complex is huge. Another temple is located on a steep cliff, known as the temple of Kal Bhairao. The temples are of huge archaeological importance as well. There are a number of rivers flowing through the sanctuary namely – Bhogawati, Dudhganga, Tulsi, Kallamma and Dirba. All the rivers are tributaries of the Krishna River. The centre of the Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary has the 116 State Highway passing through it.
The flora of the sanctuary usually comprises of tropical evergreen forests. There are a huge number of species that are found here. Some of the trees present here are – Anjani, Chandala, Jambul, Amba, Banana, and many more. Karvi is found all over the sanctuary. A lot of shrubs and medicinal plants grow in the sanctuary as well. Shikakai, Karvand, Dhayati, and Tamalpati are examples of such plants. We saw a lot of animals as well. Apart from the Bison for which this sanctuary is famous for, we saw a couple of leopards on the prowl as well. I snapped up a lot of pictures to my heart’s content. We were fortunate to hear the barking deer as well. The Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary Kolhapur was one of the pick of the spots we saw. The next morning we were slotted to visit Gaganbawda Ghats.
Rugged Anay 