Anshi National Park and Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve (Kali Tiger Reserve)
It is located in Uttara Kannada district, in Karnataka.
Anshi National Park is located on the banks of Kali River in the Western Ghats. It is a part of the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary.
Anshi National Park and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary were together granted the status of Project Tiger Tiger Reserve, and were declared as ‘Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve’ (which is now renamed asKali Tiger Reserve).
Major Fauna: Elephant (EN), Bengal tiger (EN), black panther (black colour variant of leopard; VU), wild boars, bonnet macaque, Malabar civet, Malabar giant squirre.
Major Avifauna: Adjutant stork, great hornbill.
Bandipur National Park, Tiger Reserve
Bandipur National Park is in Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka. It was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973.
Together with Nagarhole National Park, Mudumalai National Park (TN) and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala), it is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Kabini River (a tributary of the Cauvery River) separates the National Park from Nagarhole National Park.
Vegetation: Dry & moist deciduous forests, and shrubs.
Major Flora: Teak, rosewood, sandalwood, clumping bamboo, Indian laurel and kadam tree.
Major Fauna: Indian elephants, gaurs, tigers, sloth bears, chausinghas, dholes, chital, sambar, gray langurs.
Threats: Wildlife fatalities by speeding vehicles, cattle grazing, transmission of diseases from cattle to wildlife, deforestation and habitat fragmentation, and invasive species (e.g, Lantana and Parthenium).
There is a ban on traffic from 9 pm to 6 am of dusk to dawn to help bing down the death rate of wildlife.
Bannerghatta National Park
Bannerghatta National Park is located near Bangalore, Karnataka.
It is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants which connects Biligirirangana Hills and Sathyamangalam forest.
Vegetation: Moist deciduous forest and scrubland.
Major Flora: Sandalwood, bamboo, eucalyptus.
Major Fauna: Elephants, Bengal tiger, gaur, leopard, sloth bear, Indian gazelle, spotted deer, bonnet macaque.
Major Avifauna: Flamingo, pelican.
Threats: Illegal mining of graniteclose tocritical elephant corridors inside the National Park.
A portion of the National Park is converted into Bannerghatta Biological Park. The Biological Park has a zoo, a butterfly enclosure, a snake house and a safari park. It shelters mammals such as Indian tigers and lions.
Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area and tiger reserve, situated in Chikkamagaluru district.
It is about 100 km to the east of Kudremukh National Park. It is surrounded by scenic hills, including the Baba Budangiri hills.
Mullayanagiri peak (1,930 m) in the Baba Budangiri hills is the highest peak in Karnataka.
Hebbe Falls and Manikyadhara Falls are located on the periphery of the sanctuary.
The tributaries of theBhadra river flow west through the sanctuary. The western border of the sanctuary abuts the Bhadra Reservoir.
Vegetation: Semi-evergreen & moist deciduous forests, and shola grasslands.
Major Flora: Kadam, teak, Indian-laurel, rosewood.
Threats: Iron ore mining, tourism and related construction, the tribal population in the park.
Biligiri Ranganatha Temple TR, Wildlife Sanctuary
The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRT) is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
It is the starting point ofEastern Ghats. The Biligiri Ranganatha Hills (BR Hills) connect Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats, and facilitates gene flow between populations of species in these areas.
Vegetation: Evergreen, deciduous, sholas, and grasslands.
Major Fauna: Wild elephants, tiger, gaur, sambhar, chital.
The Nagarahole River flows through the park, which joins the Kabini River which also is a boundary between Nagarahole and Bandipur Ntional Park.
It is recognized as an Important Bird Area.
Jenu Kurubas(honey-collecting tribe) live in this park.
Vegetation: Moist & dry deciduous forests, swamp forests, and bamboo.
Major Flora: Rosewood, teak, sandalwood and silver oak.
Major Fauna: Bengal tiger, leopard, Indian elephant, chital, chausingha, gaur, mugger (marsh crocodile).
Threats: Tourism, fragmentation of forests, poaching.
In 2020, the pictures of rare black panther Saya caught on camera by photographer Shaaz Jung from the dense forests of Nagarhole went viral.
Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Western Ghats, in Belgaum District near Jamboti Village, Karnataka.
It is contiguous to Madei Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa), Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park (Goa) and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary(Karnataka).
Rivers: Sanctuary forms the headwaters of a number of rivers like Tillari, Malaprabha and Mhadei and several perennial streams.
The sanctuary has been named after the Bhimgad Fort, constructed and commanded by Shivaji in the 17th century as a defence from Portuguese troops.
It is famed for its Barapede caves which serve as the only known breeding areaof a threatened species on the verge of extinction called Wroughton’s free-tailed bat.
Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Kodagu District, Karnataka in the Western Ghats and is contiguous with the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala.
The sanctuary derives its name from the highest peak of the mountain range, Brahmagiri Peak.
Other than chinkaras, four-horned and blackbuck antelopes are also found here.
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagar districts of Karnataka.
It is contiguous with BR Hill Tiger Reserve (Karnataka), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve(TN) and Dharmapuri forest(TN).
The Cauvery River passes through its midst. Hogenakal Falls and Mekedatu (confluence of Cauvery & Arkavathi Rivers) are important locations of the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary is located in Ballari district in Karnataka, 15 km from the World Heritage Site of Hampi.
It was created for the preservation of the sloth bear (VU). This is Asia’s first sloth bear sanctuary.
Ghataprabha Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary is located in the Gokak and Hukkeri Taluks of Belgaum district, Karnataka.
Its boundaries enclose a stretch of about 28 km of the Ghataprabha River (a tributary of the Krishna River).
The Gokak waterfalls located in the eastern part of the Sanctuary is the major tourist attraction.
Gudavi Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Soraba Taluk of Shimoga District in the state of Karnataka.
It is situated around the Gudavi Lake. It is a small seasonal lake and is filled with water mostly in the rainy season.
Gudekote Sloth Bear Wildlife Sanctuary
Gudekote Sloth Bear Sanctuary is located in Ballari district in Karnataka.
It was created exclusively for the preservation of sloth bear (VU), and is Asia’s second sloth bear sanctuary, the first being Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary.
It is to the south of Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is unique in that it contains prehistoric sites, rock paintings, natural caves, and old temples within its boundaries, adding a historical and cultural dimension to its conservation efforts.
Kamasandra Wildlife Sanctuary
The Kammasandra Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kolar district of Karnataka. It is located at trijunction of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.
It is recently declared Wildlife Sanctuary. It encompasses the former Kammasandra Reserve Forest and Sorakayalahalli Reserve Forest.
Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
It has Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka) to its north and east, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve(TN) to its south and BR Hills Temple Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) to its west.
Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary
It is situated in Mandya district.
It was declared as a sanctuary to protect the habitat of Grey Wolf.
Melukote is the location of the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple. Early in the 12th century, the famous Srivaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who hailed from present day Tamil Nadu, stayed at Melukote for about 12 years.
Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary
Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary is located in in Kollur in the Udupi district of Coastal Karnataka.
It derives its name from the Kollur Mookambika Temple.
It lies in the Western Ghats and famous Kodachadri Hills are located in the sanctuary.
Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Somwarpet taluk of the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka.
Pushpagiri (Kumara Parvatha,1712 m) is the highest peak in the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mallalli falls and Kote abbe falls (or Mukkodlu falls) are located inside the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Ranebennur Blacbuck Wildlife Sanctuary
The Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary is located in the Dharwad district of Karnataka.
It was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary mainly to protectblackbucks (LC).
Great Indian bustards are also observed here.
Ranganathittu Wildlife Sanctuary (BS)
It is also called Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka located near the historic town of Srirangapattana (near Mysore).
It is the largest Bird Sanctuary in the state and comprises six islets on the banks of theCauvery River.
Major Fauna: Smooth coated otter, common palm civet, mugger crocodile.
Major Avifauna: Painted stork, Asian openbill stork, common spoonbill, woolly-necked stork, black-headed ibis.
It receives thousands of migratory birds from Siberia, Latin America and parts of north India during winter.
It experiences heavy flooding when water is released from Krishna Raja Sagara dam (on Cauvery River) upstream.
Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary is located in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
It is India’s first vulture sanctuary.
It houses Long-billed vulture (Indian Vulture, CR), Egyptian Vulture (EN) and White-rumped vulture (CR).
Rangayyanadurga Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Davanagere district.
It is the only sanctuary for four-horned antelopes (chausingha, VU) in Karnataka.
Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Sharavathi River Valley in Shimoga District of Karnataka.
Sharavati, a westward flowing river, lies entirely in the Western Ghats. The famous Jog Falls is formed by this river. Linganamakki Reservoir is a major part of the Sharavati Valley.
Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Shimoga District of Karnataka.
It is contiguous with the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve.
Mandagadde Natural Bird Sanctuary, present on a small island in the river Tunga is also a part of this Sanctuary.
The Tunga Anicut Dam is situated within the sanctuary and provides shelter for otters and water birds.
Vegetation: It is mainly covered by tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
It lies in the Western Ghats, in Udupi & Shivamogga districts of Karnataka.
It is named after the presiding deity “Lord Someshwara” of the famed Someshwara temple located within the sanctuary.
Agumbe (the Cherrapunji of South India) is located in this Wildlife Sanctuary.
The expanded sanctuary forms a contiguous stretch of protected area that includes Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary and Kudremukh National Park.
The perennial Sitanadi River flows through the sanctuary.
Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Kodagu district.
It is the place considered to be the source of the river Kaveri. It is located on Brahmagiri hills.
It is situated in the Western Ghats region, which is known for its rich biodiversity.
Thimlapura Wildlife Sanctuary
It is a conservation reserve for bears in Tumkur district.
It is inhabited by leopards, sloth bears, wild boars, Indian foxes, wolves, among other animals.
Yadahalli Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in Baglkot district.
It is established to protect chinkaras (Indian Gazelle; LC). It is the first chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka.
The Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary is located in the Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district of Karnataka.
Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary
Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Mysore district of Karnataka.
The sanctuary is primarily composed of dry deciduous forests, and it serves as a habitat for various species of plants and animals.
The sanctuary has a large area of eucalyptus and sandalwood plantations. It also has scrub forests and other plantations in the area.
Attiveri Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
Attiveri Bird Sanctuary is located in Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.
It is situated near the Attiveri Reservoir. The sanctuary is known for being a haven for various species of migratory and resident birds.
Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary
Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
It is a dry land Wildlife Sanctuary in South India. It has dry deciduous forest with major plantations of Acacia and teak plantations.
It is home to different varieties of flora and fauna, including sandalwood, red sanders, blackbuck, striped hyena, wolf, and fruit bats.
Red Sanders: This is a highly valued tree species known for its valuable red wood.
Sandalwood: Another precious tree known for its fragrant wood.
Chincholi is also home to Lambani Tandas, a protected tribal community that lives in the forests in harmony with nature.
Jogimatti Wildlife Sanctuary
Jogimatti Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
One of the notable features of the sanctuary is the Jogimatti Peak, which stands at an elevation of around 3,985 feet (1,214 meters) above sea level.
The sanctuary is known for its rocky hills, diverse flora and fauna, and scenic landscapes.
Kappathagudda Wildlife Sanctuary
The Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Gadag district of Karnataka.
The Ghataprabha River flows through a part of the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary.
A forest in Gadag district facing a serious threat from illegal mining.
Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary
Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary is situated north of Bandipur National Park in Mysore District of Karnataka.
It covers about 30 sq km, and the northern part of the sanctuary is occupied by the Nugu Reservoir. It is built across the Nugu River, a tributary of the Cauvery.
In 1974, Nugu was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary, and later, in year 2003-2004, the area of Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was added to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Vegetation: Most of the vegetation in the forests is dry, deciduous and interspersed with patches of plantations.
Ramsar Sites of Karnataka
Ranganathituu Bird Sanctuary (IBA)
The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is located in the Mandya District, Karnataka.
It is situated on the banks of river Cauvery nearly 4 Kms. away from the historic town of Srirangapatna and 19 Kms. from Mysore.
It is the largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1940 due to efforts of the ornithologist Salim Ali.
It is named after the Hindu God Sri Ranganatha Swamy, who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
