Koka Wildlife Sanctuary

 Koka Wildlife Sanctuary – Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhandara District, Maharashtra 🌿

Overview:
Koka Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected forest area in Bhandara district of Maharashtra, established as an official sanctuary in 2013 and covering about 92.34 sq km. It forms part of the larger Nawegaon–Nagzira Tiger Reserve ecosystem, acting as a vital refuge and corridor for wildlife from nearby forests like Nagzira and New Nagzira. The sanctuary has rich biodiversity including tigers, leopards, gaurs, sambar, chital, sloth bear, wild dogs and various migratory birds. 

The Koka Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Bhandara District of Maharashtra, India, approximately 20 km east of Bhandara town. It spans an area of 92.34 km² and was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2013. The sanctuary forms part of the Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR), serving as a vital transit corridor for wildlife between Nagzira and New Nagzira Sanctuaries.

It is home to a rich diversity of fauna, including tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaurs, chital, sambar deer, wild dogs, and migratory birds from Siberia during winter. The forest consists of century-old trees and tropical dry deciduous vegetation. Notably, there are no human settlements within the sanctuary, as the area was declared a reserved forest in 1879.

The nearest airport is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur (~60 km away), and the closest railheads are Bhandara Road and Warthi Railway Station. Regular buses operate from Bhandara Bus Stand.