Natural parks of Goa
Tourists visit India for the Himalayas, for its rich culture, ancient forts, beaches, and colorful festivals. But did you know that India also has 106 national parks, covering an area of 44,378 square kilometers? There are also 567 wildlife sanctuaries and 53 tiger reserves. There are many national parks in Goa as well that provide an interesting alternative attraction for tourists. In fact, 20% of Goa’s territory is made up of forest land. The hilly terrain of the southeast is lush and wild. Go interior from the beach area and you will find rich rainforests with many species of flora and fauna.
Many rivers flow through the forests. You will also find many waterfalls, which look the best just after the monsoon season because they will have the most water at this time. Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary is the most famous. It is a 4-tiered cascading waterfall in South Goa. Bhagwan Mahavir is also the largest wildlife area in Goa.
Wild Life in the National Parks of Goa
You will find the Bengal tiger, leopard, flying squirrel, barking deer, spotted deer, pangolin, porcupine, gaur, wild boar, four-horned antelope, wild dogs, plenty of monkeys, and many species of birds and butterflies. The reptiles you can see are the king cobra, cat snake, Indian rock python, Russell's viper, Malabar pit viper, and the Indian cobra.
Top 7 Natural Parks of Goa
Here are the top national parks of Goa –
Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary - Also known as the Mollem National Park, it is located in the Western Ghats, close to Goa’s border with neighboring Karnataka. National Highway 4A divides the park into two parts. Spread over a huge area, it houses a huge variety of animal and bird life. It is mostly a tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest and moist deciduous forest. Goa’s famous Dudhsagar Waterfall is located here.
Bhagwan Mahabir also has Dhangar nomadic buffalo herders who live in harmony with animal life. There is also a famous Mahadeva Temple, which gives the park its name. It is now the only standing architectural work of the Kadamba and Yadav rulers.
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary - In North Goa’s Chorao Island, this is one of India’s biggest bird sanctuaries. It is a mangrove swamp area on the Mandovi River and the home of many species of birds and bats. You can see the western reef heron, striated heron, black bittern, little bittern, pied avocet, red knot, and many others. You can also see fiddler crabs and mudskippers. It is small in size but big in attractions.
The sanctuary is named after the famous Indian naturalist and ornithologist Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali. You can visit Old Goa on the opposite side of the river.
Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary - This is the second largest reserve of Goa after Bhagwan Mahabir Sanctuary. It has large deciduous trees that reach a height of 30 meters. There is a treetop watchtower that gives a nice view of the canopy. The wildlife at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary includes flying squirrels, mouse deer, panthers, hyenas, sloth bears, gazelles, four-horned antelopes, wild boars, porcupines, vipers, golden-back gliding snakes, and many species of birds and reptiles.
Cotigao also has two rivers, Talpona and Galjibaga, originating inside the forest. There are 8 nature trails within the park. It also has a small nature interpretation center.
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary - Netravali is also a huge forest covering an area of 211 square kilometers. In eastern Goa, this sanctuary attracts many nature and wildlife lovers for its pristine landscape and rich animal and bird population. It is one of Goa’s most picturesque parks. There are several waterfalls, a small lake, and even a strawberry firm just outside the forest. It is named after the Netravali tributary of the Zuari River.
Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary - It is in the foothills of the Western Ghats. It is one of the smallest national parks of Goa but still has more than 150 species of birds and plenty of animals like the Indian boar, Indian bison, Indian gaur, Bengal tiger, blackbuck, spotted dear, sambar dear, jungle cat, wild boar, Russell's viper, Indian cobra, Rhesus macaque, and many crocodiles. There is also a botanical park, a rose garden, and a zoo.
Anshi National Park - The Anshi Park is partly in Goa and partly in Karnataka. In the Nilgiri biosphere of the Western Ghats, the forest is fed by the Kali River, which is why it is sometimes also called the Kali Tiger Reserve. You can see tigers, elephants, black panthers, jackals, bison, leopards, barking dear, sloth bear, and more. It has many rare plant species as well.
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary - Its major features are the Virdi and Vazra Sakla Waterfalls. They are both beautiful. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is a rich biodiversity area as the forest has many endemic orchids and rare flowering plants. You will find many species of animals, including 250 species of resident and migratory birds. It has now also been declared a tiger reserve as many tigers have been spotted in the forest.
