Sharavathi wildlife sanctuary was constituted as a wildlife sanctuary in 1972. It is nestled along the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka. It shares it south-west boundary with the famous Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is divided into three zones, namely tourism zone (about 57.53 sq km); buffer zone (around 170.67 sq km); and core zone (around 74.33 sq km).

Flora
Vegetation covers: Semi-evergreen, evergreen and patches of moist deciduous forests. Trees: Dipterocarpus indicus, Machilus macrantha, Dalbergia latifolia, Emblica officinalis, Aporosa lindleyana, etc.

Fauna
Mammals: Tiger, Wild Dog, Leopard, Barking Deer, Porcupine, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Bonnet Macaque, Pangolin, Otter, etc.
Reptiles: Crocodile, King Cobra, Monitor Lizard, Rat Snake, Python, etc.

Avian fauna
Herons, paradise flycatcher, spotting horn-bills, racket-tailed drongo, hornbills, lorikeets, Indian lories and many more.

Getting there
Shimoga has its own railway station and bus terminal and is well connected with Mysore, Mangalore and Bangalore through good network of roadways and railway routes. Shimoga is connected with Bangalore by NH 206 and the route from Bangalore is Tumkur –Arasikere—Shimoga—Sagar.
The closest airport to Sharavathi wildlife sanctuary is at Hubli (about 165 km). The Mangalore and Bangalore airports are located at a distance of about 200 km and 274 km respectively from Shimoga.
Tourist Information
Forest rest house located at the boundary of the Linganamakki reservoir, around 3 km from the main road, offer comfortable stay for the tourists. Alternatively one can lodge at Jog Falls. Trekking, nature trails, and bird watching from the watch towers are popular tourist activities here. The black waters of the sanctuary are ideal for water sports.

Additional Information
Location: Sharavathi wildlife sanctuary, Shimoga, Karnataka - 577 201
Area: more than 431 sq km
Ideal time to visit: November and May.
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