Karnala

Contents
 Karnala

BRIEF DESCRIPTION ABOUT KARNALA.................................................................

HOW TO REACH TO KARNALA + TRAVEL PLAN.....................................................
PHOTOS............................................................................................................

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 Karnala

Brief description about Karnala

1. Just a short drive outside Pune on the Mumbai-Pune Highway to Goa, is

the densely forested Karnala Bird Sanctuary, a pleasant surprise
away from Pune's concrete jungle. Karnala is a tiny sanctuary, barely 4.8
sq km, home to over 150 resident bird species and about 37 types of
avian migrants.
2. Karnala fort, once a Maratha bastion that changed many hands, reigns
over the forest area. A half hour trail takes the trekker 450 m above the
forest to the fort, where the Karnala Pinnacle sticks out like a crooked
thumb. From here you get a bird's eye view of the Mumbai coastline, the
tree canopy that shades the woods and the Sahyadri hills in the
distance. This is a particularly pretty climb during the monsoons when
the peak is veiled in mist and the entire forest is a lush green.
3. The monsoons rouse a number of feathered musicians, amongst them
the paradise flycatcher, magpie robin and the malabar whistling thrush.
This is the season when the stillness of the forest is ruffled by the
melodies of these song birds, and the antics of the racket-tailed drongo
as it mimics the calls of other birds! Winter heralds the journey of
migratory birds as they flock to Karnala - the ashy minivet, red-breasted
flycatcher, blackbird, black-headed cuckoo-shrike, blue-throat, the blue-
headed rock thrush and many others.
4. Karnala Pinnacle offers refuge to endangered birds like the peregrine
falcon, king vulture and the crested serpent eagle. The four-horned
antelope, wild boar, common langur, African monkeys and the muntjak
or barking deer are amongst the commonly seen wildlife, while the
leopard is spotted rarely.
5. Teak trees rule the landscape and the forest is packed with Flame of the
Forest, amaltash or laburnum, babul, bael, jamun, mango, peepul,
bamboo and red silk cotton trees. In parts, the foliage is so thick that it is
difficult to spot the bird life!
6. Karnala is a refreshing break from the big city - come here to watch the
birds and wildlife, come here to picnic and to trek, and while you are
enjoying all this, do spare a thought for preserving the ecology and
tranquillity of the sanctuary.

How to reach to Karnala + Travel plan

Karnala Bird Sanctuary is 125 km from Pune, on the Mumbai-Goa

Highway, NH-17. This is a 3-hour drive via Panvel.

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Location of Karnala

Following is the travel plan:-

Activity Time
1. Hiking 3 Hours
2. Bird Watching 1 Hour
3. Outdoor Games 2 hours

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 Karnala

Following things are to be brought by every individual on their own wish

and requirement

Item
1. Water Bottle
2. One extra pair of clothes
3. Camera
4. Napkin, Towel, Personal Medicines
5. Jacket, Rainy Cap, Umbrella

Photos

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