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MOOKAMBIKA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary is located close to Kollur in the Udupi district of Karnataka. It is named after Mookambika, the reigning goddess of the popular Mookambika temple at Kollur. The wildlife sanctuary was gazetted on 17 June 1974.

Flora
Vegetation type: moist deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and cane forests.
Major trees: New Guinea rosewood, Indian rosewood, Cotton tree, Karmal, Anjili, Ballagi, Five-leaved chaste tree, etc.
Medicinal plants: Arashina balli and Arenga wighti

Fauna
Important species: the endangered cane turtle and lion-tailed macaque.
Other species: tiger, chital, leopard, sambar, sloth bear, gaur, barking deer, slender loris, porcupine, otter, Indian rock python, termite hill gecko, forest calotes, etc

Avian Fauna
Malabar whistling thrush, white bellied treepie, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, mountain imperial pigeon, great Indian hornbill, black-naped monarch, yellow-browed bulbul, Malabar trogon, etc

Getting There
Nearest railhead is at Kundapur and the closest airport is in Mangalore (125 km) and Bangalore. Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary is nestled on the Kundapur-Kollur-Shimoga road and can be easily approached by roadways from different parts of the state. From Mangalore the road route will be Mangalore-Byndoor (105 km)-Kollur (27 km). The road route from Bangalore: Bangalore-Shimoga (270km)-Sagar (85 km) via Hosanagara-Nagodi Ghat road to Kollur (75 km).

Tourist Information
There are no staying facilities within Mookambika Sanctuary. For accommodation, the tourists have to contact the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kudremukh Wildlife Division, Karkala. Trekking and nature camps are popular tourist activities in the region. Trekking route to Arshinagundi Falls will enable you to see different species of birds and beautiful butterflies. Littering, making loud noises, carrying pets, fire- arms, weapons, radios and transistors inside the sanctuary is strictly prohibited.
Mookambika temple and Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary are nearby places of interest that tourists can visit.

Additional Information
Address: Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Jadkal, Karnataka-576220.
Contact: Deputy Conservator of Forests
Area: about 247 sq. km. / Elevation: 9-1,315 m above sea level
Annual rainfall: 4,593 mm / Ideal visiting season: November to March.
Timings: 6 am to 9.30 am and 3.30 pm to 6 pm
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