Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary is Situated in Tirora, Arjuni (Sadak) & Goregaon Tahsils of Gondia District and Sakoli, Bhandara, Lakhni Tahsil of Bhandara district. The closest National Highway is NH-53. Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary is locked in the arms of nature and adorned with a picturesque landscape, luxuriant vegetation and serves as a living outdoor museum to explore and appreciate nature. This sanctuary has a number of fish, 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four species of amphibians. The invertebrate fauna includes a number of butterfly and other insect species. Large wild mammals present here include the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, chital, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain and dhole. There is also an Indian elephant named Rupa. Nearly 30,000 tourists visit this sanctuary annually. Etymology There is a temple of 'Naag' (Snake) which is exactly in the middle of nagzira and a temple of Mahadev. There was also a village inside the forest called as 'Nangthana' that adds up to the name of the forest. Nagzira got its name from this temple and 'zira' (zara) in Marathi means a perennial source of water that comes out from a hill in pongezara, Nagzira. History The Gond kings once ruled these forests in the vicinity of the Bhandara. In 1970, was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2012, state government announced to merge this sanctuary with another national park to include in Saving tiger project Significance The Nagzira wildlife sanctuary is a miraculously preserved "green oasis" in the easternmost part of the Maharashtra State and has a great importance from bio-diversity conservation point of view. This sanctuary is locked in the arms of nature and adorned with picturesque landscapes, luxuriant vegetation and serves as living outdoor museum to explore and appreciate nature. This wildlife sanctuary is indeed nature’s priceless asset and beckons one and all to enjoy its picturesque landscape, its scenic beauty, its pure and fresh air. It is really a boon to us and hence we must realise the real worth of this marvelous treasure house of nature and must protect it as a part of our national heritage. It has got immense potentials from bio-diversity conservation point of view and its values are discussed below. Ecological or environmental values It is an important conservation unit in Central India in general and Vidarbha in particular. It acts a "Green-lung"