Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. It is less than 50 kilometres away from Bhopal city and is one of the finest teak forests in the state. It covers an area of 824 kilometres square and has a landscape which is undulating, with hills, plateaus, valleys and plains. The sanctuary is quite famous among tourists and this is why the Madhya Pradesh tourism board plans to make it a wildlife destination in the near future. It is rich in flora and fauna and has two large reservoirs, namely Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam adjacent to it. The sanctuary boasts of Bhimbetika "a group of rock shelters and rock paintings" which is one of the 'World Heritage Site' declared by UNESCO.
The forest of the sanctuary is dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak as the main tree species. The remaining mixed forests consist of various dry deciduous species with Bamboo overlapping the two aforementioned forest types.
Mammals: tiger, leopard, dhole, hyena, jackal, fox, langur, rhesus macaque, langur, wild boar.
Birds: common babbler, crimson-breasted barbet, bulbul, bee-eater, baya, cuckoo, kingfisher, kite, lark, Bengal vulture, sunbird, white wagtail, crow pheasant, jungle crow, egrets, myna, jungle fowl, parakeets, partridges, hoopoe, quails, woodpeckers, blue jay, dove, black drongo, flycatcher.
Reptiles: lizards, chameleon, cobra, python, viper, krait.
The ideal time to explore the sanctuary is between the months of October to April.
Nearest Train Station: The nearest railhead is Bhopal Junction Railway Station, which is about 41 Km away from the sanctuary.
Nearest Airport: The nearest airport is Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal, located about 50 km away from the sanctuary.
Road Accessibility : The sanctuary is less than 50 kilometres away from Bhopal city. From there, taxi can be hired.