RatanMahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary
This sanctuary harbours maximum population of sloth bears in the entire
state, which is the star attraction in the wilds of Ratanmahals. The sanctuary
falls in the Dahod district of Central Gujarat and is located very close to the
tribal towns, Baria of Dahod district and Chhota Udepur of Vadodara district.
This area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in March 1982. The sanctuary
falls on the border of Gujarat with Madhya Pradesh. The actual habitat of the
Sloth bear, therefore, extends into Madhya Pradesh. The pristine beauty of
forests in this small tract with rugged topography gives the feel of a hill
station to wildlife enthusiasts.
For learning the habits and behaviour of the sloth bear, this sanctuary
offers a unique opportunity as they are densely populated here. The sanctuary
also has a large population of leopards.
The forests include dry teak forests at the foothills and mixed deciduous
forests with dry bamboo brakes on the periphery. There are pure patches of
timru and sadad as well. The high concentration of mahuda trees provides a
favourite food to sloth bears.
The Kanjeta
Eco campsite is the on-site full-service and lodging operation of Gujarat
Tourism.
The River Panam originates
from within this scenic sanctuary and meets the Orange River at the foothills
of Ratanmahal. It is also known for the Mira waterfalls within the sanctuary.
You may spot a black panther, leopard or a four-horned antelope during a
two-hour trek to the falls.
It is also the location for a water conservation project, housing an irrigation dam and reservoir. The forest land originally belonged to the then King of Devgadh Baria State but is now the reserve forest land of 11 villages in the area.
Address :Deputy Conservator of
Forests,It is also the location for a water conservation project, housing an irrigation dam and reservoir. The forest land originally belonged to the then King of Devgadh Baria State but is now the reserve forest land of 11 villages in the area.
Bariya Division, Bariya,
District Dahod, Gujarat
Phone(O) : 02678 220425
How to reach:
By Road :The
Narmada river runs through Narmada district, along the border of Vadodara
district, and through Bharuch district, emptying near the city of Bharuch
into the sea. There are various sites along the way, and therefore various ways
to visit the river. Bharuch, Rajpipla, Chanod, and Dabhoi are accessible by
buses. The Sardar Sarovar dam site can be reached by private vehicle.
By Air: Vadodara
(170Kms), Ahmedabad(250kms)
By Train: Dahod(70kms), Godhra(85kms)
Best Time To
Visit: October to May
Nearest Places to Visit:
·
Pavagadh
Fort- 75 kms
·
Mahakali
temple on the top of Pavagadh hills
·
Champaner
Fort- 75 kms
· Nagina
Masjid- 75 kms
·
Ratanmahal
hill- the pinnacle within the sanctuary
· Shiv
temple on Ratanmahal hilltop
Accomodation:
· Forest Rest house- Kanjeta
General Overview:
Do not walk alone or in ones or twos in this jungle; It is a risky and unpredictable beast. It is fearless; so quick to charge and so fast running. It can climb up the trees. It is very mighty and its sharp nails can cause very serious injuries". If you go to Ratanmahal Sanctuary and talk to some tribal they would most probably describe the sloth bear in the manner mentioned above.
Sloth bear indeed is more dangerous than the leopard at times. But, it is a thrilling experience to have a glimpse of the bear in the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary.
It is never a 'killing-experience' if you have a vehicle and if you are accompanied by guards! This is the place, where you may come across a leopard, a palm civet, an Indian civet, four-horned antelope, langurs, Loten's sunbird, large green barbet, yellow checked tit, crested serpent eagle, grey junglefowl and a pit viper...! A visit to Ratanmahal is indeed rewarding.
About 55.65 sq. km area of the Sanctuary is a triangular landmass, which covers reserve forests of 11 villages. Forest originally belonged to ex-ruler of Devgadh Baria State. Eleven villages with a population of about 7000 are located in and around the Sanctuary and 41 villages are located in its interaction zone. An area of 150 ha is in possession of irrigation department. Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh constitutes boundary in south and east of the Sanctuary, whereas forests in west, and revenue areas in north surround the Sanctuary.
Home of 50+ Bear.The main attraction is the sloth bear but the area also harbours other species like panthers, jungle cats, civets, jackals, hyenas, honey badgers, foxes, porcupines etc. It also boasts of a variety of avifauna like treepies, white bellied drongos, racket tailed drongos, paradise fly catcher, black headed oriole, etc and a variety of reptiles.
While your journey you will meet local people of the villages. Also, at peak you will be at border of Gujrat and Madhyapradesh.
Kanjeta Eco Campsite : Here you can enjoy staying in lap of nature.You can book a tent house too.
The sanctuary's geological formation and structure adds alot to its beauty. River Panam originates from within the sanctuary. All of these great natural wonders give the sanctuary the potential of widening people's sensitivity towards wildlife in general.
Ecological significance
The forests of Ratanmahals form the catchment of river Panam- a major river of Central Gujarat. It drains through the districts of Dahod and Panchmahals. These are major towns on the banks of this river. An irrigation dam and reservoir is also built on this river near Godhra. These forests, therefore, have a great ecological significance for water conservation.
The Forest Types
The forest types which constitute different types of habitats are dry teak forest at foot hills and in periphery of the P A, mixed deciduous forest, dry bamboo brakes, 'Timru' forest (pure patch) and 'Sadad' forest (pure patch). High population of 'Mahudo' trees intermixed with pure patches of 'Sadad' and 'Timru' forest on plateaus of the hills, at foothills, in plains on the periphery of PA provide food to sloth bear. Tree cover is very good. There are also quite a good number of 'Jamun' trees, which provide food to sloth bear during monsoon.
Flora
Teak, dudhlo, sadad, timru, amla, bamboo, dhavdo, kakadiyo, mahuda, tanach, charoli, ber, jamun, khakhro etc. a total of 543 species of plants are recorded (119 species of trees, 40 species of shrubs, 238 species of herbs, 48 species of grasses, 87 species of climbers, 2 species of partial parasite and 9 species of orchids).
Fauna
Cobra, krait, Saw-scaled viper, Russel's viper and Bamboo pit viper are the main venomous snakes found here. Python, Rat snake, Red sand boa, Trinket are the non-venomous snakes. Star tortoise, Flap-shell turtle, Chameleon and Termite hill gecko are also found here
Important Animals
Sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, jackal, four-horned antelope, mongoose, porcupine, civet cat, jungle cat, hanuman langur etc.
Important Birds
147 species of birds are recorded here 16 of which are terrestrial (nesting and foraging on ground such as grey jungle fowl, partridge, quail etc.). Alexandrine parakeet, common babbler, crested serpent eagle, green pigeon, hoopoe, lesser golden-backed woodpecker, grey jungle fowl, tailor bird etc. are some common species
Accomodation:
· Forest Rest house- Kanjeta
· Reasonably
good hotels in Dahod
General Overview:
Do not walk alone or in ones or twos in this jungle; It is a risky and unpredictable beast. It is fearless; so quick to charge and so fast running. It can climb up the trees. It is very mighty and its sharp nails can cause very serious injuries". If you go to Ratanmahal Sanctuary and talk to some tribal they would most probably describe the sloth bear in the manner mentioned above.
Sloth bear indeed is more dangerous than the leopard at times. But, it is a thrilling experience to have a glimpse of the bear in the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary.
It is never a 'killing-experience' if you have a vehicle and if you are accompanied by guards! This is the place, where you may come across a leopard, a palm civet, an Indian civet, four-horned antelope, langurs, Loten's sunbird, large green barbet, yellow checked tit, crested serpent eagle, grey junglefowl and a pit viper...! A visit to Ratanmahal is indeed rewarding.
About 55.65 sq. km area of the Sanctuary is a triangular landmass, which covers reserve forests of 11 villages. Forest originally belonged to ex-ruler of Devgadh Baria State. Eleven villages with a population of about 7000 are located in and around the Sanctuary and 41 villages are located in its interaction zone. An area of 150 ha is in possession of irrigation department. Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh constitutes boundary in south and east of the Sanctuary, whereas forests in west, and revenue areas in north surround the Sanctuary.
Home of 50+ Bear.The main attraction is the sloth bear but the area also harbours other species like panthers, jungle cats, civets, jackals, hyenas, honey badgers, foxes, porcupines etc. It also boasts of a variety of avifauna like treepies, white bellied drongos, racket tailed drongos, paradise fly catcher, black headed oriole, etc and a variety of reptiles.
While your journey you will meet local people of the villages. Also, at peak you will be at border of Gujrat and Madhyapradesh.
Kanjeta Eco Campsite : Here you can enjoy staying in lap of nature.You can book a tent house too.
The sanctuary's geological formation and structure adds alot to its beauty. River Panam originates from within the sanctuary. All of these great natural wonders give the sanctuary the potential of widening people's sensitivity towards wildlife in general.
Ecological significance
The forests of Ratanmahals form the catchment of river Panam- a major river of Central Gujarat. It drains through the districts of Dahod and Panchmahals. These are major towns on the banks of this river. An irrigation dam and reservoir is also built on this river near Godhra. These forests, therefore, have a great ecological significance for water conservation.
The Forest Types
The forest types which constitute different types of habitats are dry teak forest at foot hills and in periphery of the P A, mixed deciduous forest, dry bamboo brakes, 'Timru' forest (pure patch) and 'Sadad' forest (pure patch). High population of 'Mahudo' trees intermixed with pure patches of 'Sadad' and 'Timru' forest on plateaus of the hills, at foothills, in plains on the periphery of PA provide food to sloth bear. Tree cover is very good. There are also quite a good number of 'Jamun' trees, which provide food to sloth bear during monsoon.
Flora
Teak, dudhlo, sadad, timru, amla, bamboo, dhavdo, kakadiyo, mahuda, tanach, charoli, ber, jamun, khakhro etc. a total of 543 species of plants are recorded (119 species of trees, 40 species of shrubs, 238 species of herbs, 48 species of grasses, 87 species of climbers, 2 species of partial parasite and 9 species of orchids).
Fauna
Cobra, krait, Saw-scaled viper, Russel's viper and Bamboo pit viper are the main venomous snakes found here. Python, Rat snake, Red sand boa, Trinket are the non-venomous snakes. Star tortoise, Flap-shell turtle, Chameleon and Termite hill gecko are also found here
Important Animals
Sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, jackal, four-horned antelope, mongoose, porcupine, civet cat, jungle cat, hanuman langur etc.
Important Birds
147 species of birds are recorded here 16 of which are terrestrial (nesting and foraging on ground such as grey jungle fowl, partridge, quail etc.). Alexandrine parakeet, common babbler, crested serpent eagle, green pigeon, hoopoe, lesser golden-backed woodpecker, grey jungle fowl, tailor bird etc. are some common species
