| Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
  Location in West Bengal, India | |
| Location | Darjeeling, West Bengal, India |
| Nearest city | Siliguri |
| Coordinates | 26°28′52″N 88°15′50″E / 26.481°N 88.264°E |
| Area | 158 km2 (61 sq mi) |
| Established | 1976 |
| Governing body | Government of India, Government of West Bengal |
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (Pron: móhɑ́nɑ́ndaa) is located on the foothills of the Himalayas, between the Teesta and Mahananda rivers. Situated in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India; it comes under Darjeeling Wildlife division and can be reached from Siliguri in 30 minutes. Sukna, the gateway to the sanctuary, is only 13 km from Siliguri and 28 km from Bagdogra airport. The sanctuary sprawls over 159 km2 of reserve forest and was started as a game sanctuary in 1955. In 1959, it got the status of a sanctuary mainly to protect the Indian bison and royal Bengal tiger, which were facing the threat of extinction.[1]