 Established in 1969, the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at a distance of 60 kilometers from Panaji towards the south. It was established in the year 1969 to protect the vulnerable flora and fauna of that area. Cotigao sanctuary is the second largest sanctuary in Goa and covers an area of 86 square kilometers. The talpona river flows all the way through this preserve. The park has a 25-meter high treetop watchtower for watching wild animals as they visit the waterholes to quench their thirst. Nonetheless, you will be required to arrange your own vehicle to visit the sanctuary, as the forest department provides no vehicles.
Though the forested land shelters a variety of birds and animals, the number of animals in this sanctuary has started to dwindle over the years. One can still come across sloth bears, deer, wild boars, laughing hyenas and Indian bisons. Various reptiles and monkeys can also be easily sighted. Birds like the Rufus Woodpecker, white-eyed eagle and the Malabar crested eagle constitute the avian life that thrives here. Apart from the animal life, the extensive forestland is welcomed as a pleasant change.
Wild Life: Flying Squirrel, Slender Loris, Indian Pangolin, Mouse Deer, Four-Horned Antelope, Malabar Pit Viper, Hump Nosed Pit Viper, White Bellied Woodpecker, Malabar Trogon, Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, Heart Spotted Woodpecker, Speckled Piculet, Malayan Bittern, Draco or Flying Lizard, Golden Back Gliding Snake, Malabar Tree Toad.
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Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary