Deciduous Forests cover area around Bhimashankar. The Forests in the area have trees like Teak, Oak, Mango. The forest inhabits animals like Rabbit, Deer, Wolf, Fox, Tiger and Leopards. Birds found in the area include Peacock, Bulbul, and Parrot. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary was created in the area in order to protect the habitat of the Indian Giant Squirrel. Its area is and is a part of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri Ranges). This sanctuary was created in 1984 and includes 9 tribal villages. This area's biodiversity has been retained as it will be preserved as a cluster of sacred groves for generations. These sacred groves act as gene pools of this area, from where seeds were dispersed. Inside the Ahupe village's sacred grove in the sanctuary (where a tribe of Mahadev Koli resides) in 1984, a climber plant called Khombhal or Xantolis tomentosa was found to be 800-1000 years old.