Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary

Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary protects hilly forest in the Western Ghats of Satara district, within reach of Mahabaleshwar. Three rivers, the Koyna, the Kandati and the Solashi, run through its valleys, and the sanctuary forms the northern part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

Mammals found here include the Bengal tiger, the Indian leopard, gaur (Indian bison), sambar, sloth bear, barking deer and the tiny mouse deer. Birdwatchers come for forest species such as the heart-spotted, rufous and brown-capped pygmy woodpeckers, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Asian fairy bluebird, the crested goshawk and the long-tailed nightjar.