As rightly said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” The Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka is one such place which does justice to the above statement. The Sanctuary is rich in diverse flora and fauna.
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| Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, India |
A mixture of typical moist deciduous and semi evergreen forests, this place is the ideal place for nature lovers to visit. The Sanctuary is a home to a variety of animals such as Deer, Sloth bear, Elephant, panther, Tiger, Wild dog, Bison, jackal, Giant flying squirrel etc, to name a few.
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| Malabar Giant Flying Squirrel |
The Sanctuary has become a paradise for a large number of migratory as well as native birds. It has around 400 species of rare and old birds including the magpie robin, golden backed woodpecker, crested serpent eagle, green Imperial pigeon, Indian White Rumped vulture, Green bee eater; Green dove, thus earning the name, ‘Birding Paradise.’ Ah, the sound of those exotic birds singing! The Malabar pied Hornbill is the most sighted bird in this sanctuary. Tourists also come here to look at the most famous animals in the Sanctuary, being the Black panthers, Slender Loris and King Cobra.
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| Black Panther - Anshi National Park |
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| Deer – Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary |
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| Bird - Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary |
A variety of wildflowers are also seen in the Sanctuary. Lotus, the National flower of India, scientifically known as ‘Nelumbo Nucifera’ is one of the famous flowers sighted here. The Sanctuary is also famous for its tea, rose trees and unidentified medicinal plants.
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| Lotus – The State Flower |
Many reptiles also find their home in this Sanctuary. Snakes, turtles, tortoises, Water Monitor lizards, Mugger crocodile are a few such reptiles. No wonder crocodile spotting is one of the sought after activities in the Sanctuary!
We have already seen how Dandeli wild life Sanctuary adds to the beauty of Karnataka. But there’s another important place which draws a lot of tourists to the beautiful state of Karnataka, The Kali River. The Kali River is close to the Sanctuary and is famous not only in Karnataka, but in India as a whole for rafting. A coracle ride down the River Kali is a memorable experience. The White Water rafting is a once in a life time because one can encounter large crocodiles, turtles and also go fishing. Thus, Dandeli offers kayaking, canoeing, water rafting on the Kali River. What more can a tourist ask for?
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| Rafting-Kali River |
Tourists can also opt for trekking in the jungles of the Sanctuary and thus explore the steep slopes, hilly forests and beautiful river valleys. What’s more amazing is that there is more fun to come! Tourists can also go on other adventures like cycling, mountain biking, crocodile spotting, nature walks, bird watching, safari and the list goes on and on. Wouldn’t feel like going back home would you? Ah, how can I forget the night camping, where you can stay in beautiful tents, cook your own food, dance around the bonfire and sleep outside staring at the beautiful stars. Sounds wonderful to me!
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| Jungle Safari - Dandeli Wildlife Reserve |
A section of the Sanctuary was carved out to form the Anshi National Park, which also has a wide variety of flora and fauna. Dandeli Sanctuary and Anshi National Park were together granted the status of tiger reserve by Project Tiger. The saddest thing is that there are just 13 tigers left now. Dandeli is also famous as an educational and industrial hub in Karnataka. But, the rapid expansion of various industries here is causing a lot of damage to the forests.
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| Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks in Karnataka |
Dandeli is called the backbone of Karnataka. Even foreign tourists are drawn to this state because of the beauty of Dandeli. I wouldn’t be shocked if many of you have already packed your bags and left for Dandeli! Ciao.
