Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary

Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary protects the forests on both banks of the Painganga River, which forms the line between Yavatmal and Nanded districts in Maharashtra. Set up on 1 January 1996, it covers around 325 sq km of the Pusad forest, where teak dominates, and is bordered by water on three sides. With 1,000–1,500 mm of rain a year and the river reservoir close by, it supports trees such as arjun, amla, kadamba, mahua and haldu, along with about 200 kinds of herbs.

Most of the animals are herbivores and insectivores, including pangolin, chinkara, chital, four-horned antelope, nilgai and muntjac, with striped hyena, sloth bear, jungle cat, leopard and wild dog among the predators. Python, Russell's viper and Bengal monitor are among its reptiles, and there are many species of birds. The sanctuary lies about 150 km from Yavatmal, reached by bus or by road from Umarkhed or Dhanki, and a forest rest house stands in Kharbi village near the entrance.