The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is a 208.5-km2 (80.5-mi2) protected area in the Indian state of Goa in the Western Ghats of South India.

The sanctuary is divided into 16 beats with the three round foresters stationed in Kodal, Charavane and Caranzol in Sattari taluka.

[4] There are no public tourist facilities in the sanctuary, but there are Forest Department rest houses at Valpoi and Keri.

Goa's four wildlife sanctuaries are located on the eastern side of the state in the Western Ghats, covering an area of about 750 km2 (290 sq mi).

[28] Among its variety of flora are towering trees such as shidam (Tetrameles nudiflora) which support various other life forms in the grove.

Creepers like garkani (Entada scandens)[29] with their sword-like pods are found on the shidam, while the tree also houses beehives.

Pandanus furcatus,[30] known locally known as kegadi, attracts village women when it bears flowers covered in yellow and soft thickets.

The grove is also conducive for the growth of a variety of edible mushrooms, such as roen alami, khutyali, sonyali and shringar.

Ancestors who lived in harmony with nature evolved the tradition of protecting the forest in honour of the local deity.

Nanoda's Nirankarachi Rai, formerly spread across a large area, is now confined to a small patch where the vulnerable species hedu (satinwood), khait (Mimosa catechu), and chafara (red frangipani) trees are found.

[31] Inside the sacred grove are 15 stone sculptures-of Gajlaxmi, Mahishasurmardini, Ravalnath, Brahmani, a horse rider and warriors-which are a part of Goa's archaeological heritage, weathering away.

[31] Threats to the unique ecology and biodiversity of the Mhedai Wildlife Sanctuary include illegal heavy vehicular traffic[32][33] mismanagement of private lands, illegal mining,[34] tree-felling, monoculture plantations, industrial activities, poaching, and dams and river diversions,[35] notably the Malaprabha Reservoir Project[36] and The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

[38][39] [40] On 8 August 2011, Goa Forests Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues questioned the existence of tigers in the state.

[42] There is considerable local community support for creation of the tiger reserve which would ensure long term protection of biodiversity-rich areas.

[43] The contiguous forests of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra including the wildlife sanctuaries of Goa in the Mhadei river valley, the Anshi Tiger Reserve and the reserve forests and wildlife sanctuary of Radhanagari in Karnataka, Chandoli National Park and the reserve forests of Purna and Dodamarg in Maharashtra have been named as Tiger Conservation Units (TCU) numbers 68 to 72, class: II (minimum habitat area to support 50 tigers or documented evidence of 50 tigers) and III (some information on threats and conservation measures is available, but not classified as Class I or II) by WWFInternational.

[45] In 2011, a map showing the locations of several tiger sightings in and near Mhedai Wildlife sanctuary was prepared by the Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade (VEAB) at Keri.

Residents living near the dam supported the claim, stating they have been hearing the tiger roar in the past fortnight.

In December 2010, a local resident, Pandurang Gawas, and his son saw a tiger and cub crossing the road that passes alongside the dam.

Also in the Chorla Ghat area, a part of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, there was a confirmed kill of a female domestic buffalo by an adult male tiger.