https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Gautala_Autramghat_SanctuaryGautala Autramghat Sanctuary - Revision history2026-07-31T15:28:07ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Gautala_Autramghat_Sanctuary&diff=314526&oldid=prevUpdateBot at 16:53, 18 April 20222022-04-18T16:53:41Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Protected Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra, India}}<br />
{{Infobox protected area<br />
| name = Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary (NOT National Park) <br />
| iucn_category = <br />
| photo = <br />
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| map = India Maharashtra<br />
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| location = [[Aurangabad District, Maharashtra|Aurangabad district]], [[Jalgaon District]] Maharashtra, India<br />
| nearest_city = [[Aurangabad]] and [[Chalisgaon]]<br />
| coordinates = {{coord|20|19|57.0|N|75|08|27.0|E|display=inline, title}}<br />
| area_km2 = 26.061<br />
| established = 1986<br />
| visitation_num = <br />
| visitation_year = <br />
| governing_body = Maharashtra State Forest Department<br />
| url = <br />
}}<br />
'''Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary''' is a [[protected area]] of [[Maharashtra]] state, [[India]]. It lies in the Satmala and Ajantha hill ranges of the [[Western Ghats]], and administratively is in [[Aurangabad District, Maharashtra|Aurangabad District]] and [[Jalgaon District]]. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1986 in an existing reserved forest area.<ref name="Bhatt">{{Cite book|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=IleHyBDWbzEC&pg=PA479 479]|chapter=Wildlife|title=Land and people of Indian states and union territories in 36 volumes, volume 16 Maharashtra|author1=Bhatt, Shankarlal C. |author2=Bhargava, Gopal K.|year=2006|publisher=Gyan Publishing House (Kalpaz Publications)|location=Delhi, India|isbn=978-81-7835-372-2}}</ref><ref name="Eco">{{Cite web|title=Gautala - for the eco tourist|publisher=Aurangabad Net|url=http://www.aurangabad.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=458}}</ref><br />
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It covers a total area of {{Convert|26061.19|ha|acre|0}} with [[Reserved forests and protected forests of India|Reserved Forest Areas]] of 19706 ha. in Aurangabad and 6355.19 ha. in Jalgaon.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary|date=7 June 2005|publisher=India 9|url=http://www.india9.com/i9show/Gautala-Autramghat-Sanctuary-25871.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907002845/http://www.india9.com/i9show/Gautala-Autramghat-Sanctuary-25871.htm|archivedate=7 September 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Its name comes the nearby village of Gautala, which was itself named after Gautam Rishi, a Hindu ascetic mentioned in the [[Ramcharitmanas]].<br />
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==Ecology==<br />
The area is [[Central Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous Forests|southern tropical dry deciduous forest]] with interspersed bush and grasslands.This topography supports wide variety of flora and fauna<br />
===Fauna===<br />
The wildlife include wide variety of animals. They are [[Chinkara|chinkara (''Gazella bennettii'')]], [[Nilgai|nilgai (antelope) (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'')]], [[Sloth bear|sloth bears (''Melursus ursinus'')]], [[Jungle cat|jungle cat (''Felis chaus'')]], [[Leopard cat|leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'')]], [[Brown palm civet|brown palm civet (''Paradoxurus jerdoni'')]], [[Indian muntjac|muntjac (barking deer) (''Muntiacus muntjak'')]], [[Indian hare|hare (''Lepus nigricollis'')]], [[leopard]], [[fox]], [[jackal]], [[bats]], [[wild boar]], [[Gray langur|gray langur (''Semnopithecus entellus'')]], [[Indian wolf|wolf (''Canis lupus pallipes'')]] and [[Dhole| dhole (wild dog) (''Cuon alpinus'')]]. 240 bird species have been observed in and around the sanctuary,<ref>{{Cite web|year=2010|title=Vision 2020: Aurangabad Forest, Wildlife & Social Forestry|page=13|author=Co-ordinator Conservator of Forests, Aurangabad Forest Division|location=Aurangabad (Maharashtra)|format=pdf|url=http://aurangabad.nic.in/htmldocs/vision2020/3_groupnoforest.pdf|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927053128/http://aurangabad.nic.in/htmldocs/vision2020/3_groupnoforest.pdf|archivedate=2012-09-27}}</ref> among them are [[crane (bird)|crane]]s, [[spoonbills]], [[storks]], [[ibis]], [[Common pochard|pochards]], [[peafowl]], [[quail]], [[partridges]], and various species of wading birds. Snakes include the cobra (''[[Naja naja]]''), common krait (''[[Bungarus caeruleus]]''), and rat snake (''[[Ptyas mucosus]]'').<br />
===Flora===<br />
The hill tops in the sanctuary are grass lands where as most of the forest trees occur on the slopes.Trees include teak (''[[Tectona grandis]]''), anjan (''Hardwickia binata''), oil cake tree (''[[Albizia amara]]''), sandalwood (''[[Santalum album]]''), bel (''[[Aegle marmelos]]''), awla (''[[Phyllanthus emblica]]''), bhallatak (''[[Semecarpus anacardium]]''), and moha (''[[Madhuca longifolia]]'').<br />
==How to reach==<br />
The sanctuary is well connected by road. It is about 75 km from Aurangabad and 55km from Chalisgaon city. The nearest rail head is Chalisgaon and airport is at Aurangabad also nearby towns Kannad City from where regular buses are available.<br />
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==Features==<br />
* [[Pitalkhora]] caves, rock-cut, Buddhist caves, from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE<br />
* [[Patnadevi|Patnadevi Temple]]<br />
* [[Mahadeva Temple]]<br />
* [[Sita Khori]] a waterfall<ref name="Eco" /><br />
Hanuman (Maruti) mandir road side...<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
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[[Category:Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests]]<br />
[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra]]<br />
[[Category:Jalgaon district]]<br />
[[Category:1986 establishments in Maharashtra]]<br />
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1986]]<br />
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Maharashtra]]</div>UpdateBot