Goa - Wildlife Sanctuaries

Every year, October 2 to 8 ic celebrated as Wildlife Week by governments, environmentalists and activists to accelerate the awareness of wildlife conservation among people.

In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity. Goa has 1424 sq. km of its area (of a total of 3702 sq km) under forests - over 33% of the total area. Around 62% of this forest area has been brought under Protected Areas (PA) of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks.

Foxes, wild boars and migratory birds are found in the jungles of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. Numerous types of fish are also caught off the coast of Goa and in its rivers. Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, jellyfish, oysters and catfish form some of the piscine catch.

Wildlife sanctuaries in Goa include:

Mollem National Park: Spread over 107 square kilometres in Sanguem Taluka. The national highway NH-4A passes through the sanctuary. Attractions nearby include: The Dudhsagar waterfalls, easily accessible from Mollem by a forest road. The Tambdi Surla temple, black granite stone temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built by the Kadamba kings during the 13th Century.

Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary:
Spread over 133 square kilometres in Sanguem Taluka.

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary:
Spread over 8 square kilometres in Ponda Taluka. It boasts of a Mini Zoo, Deer Safari Park where visitors can move among Sambar and Spotted Deers in a vehivle, Formal Gardens, Botanic Gardens and Eco-Tourism Cottages. Gaur, the state animal of Goa is frequently seen.

Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary:
Spread over 1.8 square kilometres in Tiswadi Taluka. The area is rich in mangrove vegitation and has a wide variety of birds. The sacntuary is just off Panaji, across the River Mandovi, in Chorao.

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary:
Spread over 86 square kilometres in Canacona Taluka. It is about 10 kms away from Canacona and Palolem.

Other sanctuaries include Madei Wildlife Sanctuary (208 sq kms / Sattari Taluka) and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary (211 sq kms / Sanguem Taluka).