Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary

Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary covers 6,979 hectares of forest, grassland and wetland across Raigad district's Murud and Roha talukas, about 140 kilometres from Mumbai. It was declared in 1986 to protect part of the coastal woodland of the Western Ghats; before independence it was a private hunting reserve of the Siddi Nawab of Janjira. It is best reached by road from Murud-Janjira or Roha, which has the nearest railhead.

Four main trails run to the waterholes, known locally as gaan, among them Chikhalgaan and Phansadgaan, which are among the best places to see animals, and open grassy patches called maals dot the forest; a sacred grove lies near Supegaon. Evergreen forest of anjan and phansada covers the hilltops, with teak, mango and figs on drier slopes, among 710 plant species. Animals include the Indian giant squirrel, gaur, dhole, leopard, sambar, mouse deer, pangolin and barking deer, and over 200 bird species range from the Sri Lanka frogmouth to the critically endangered white-rumped vulture.