Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimoga

Sharavathi Valley was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1974. It is located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. This Sanctuary has a total area of around 431 sq km. It has a vast tourist zone in addition to having a buffer and core zone. The famous Sharavathi river flowing through the thick forest is a major attraction of the sanctuary besides wildlife.

The Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary provides shelter to animal species like black panthers, sambars, tigers, jackals, sloth bear, Malabar giant squirrels, barking deer, giant flying squirrels, wild pigs, pangolin and many more species of animals as well as birds.

This place is known for the presence of reptilian species like cobras, pythons, rat snakes and crocodiles. The nearest town to the Sharavati Sanctuary is Sagar. Shimoga is well connected to cities like Bangalore by rail and road. From Sagar, it's a 7 km drive to the Sanctuary. From Mangalore to Talguppa, there are road transportation services via Bhatkal. This is the fastest route for travellers to reach Sharavati Wildlife Sanctuary by road.