ABOUT DANDELI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Experience all the sights and sounds of the lush forests of Dandeli on a wildlife safari. Travel by jeep with experienced guides who will take you on the adventure of a lifetime and delve deep into the natural habitat of wild animals, exotic birds, and unusual reptiles.

Travel through beautiful wooded trails and appreciate the rich diversity of plant and animal life as this extraordinary landscape's colours, scents and textures unfold before you.

If there were a 'Who's Who' of exotic creatures, then the inhabitants of the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary would fill it! Elephants, wild pigs, tigers, rare black panthers, wild dogs, monkeys, deer and mongoose are just some of the fascinating mammals you can see while you are there.

For adventure aficionados, Dandeli provides a perfect holiday destination or weekend getaway. From white-water rafting in the Kali River to mountain biking in the hilly terrains to spotting tigers and rare species of birds, Dandeli has it all to appease you in the lap of nature.

SOME OF THE MORE UNUSUAL MAMMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE DANDELI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Sloth Bears are odd-looking creatures with no upper incisor teeth but a very long tongue and love termites. They love eating them, that is! The long tongue and lack of upper incisors help them to suck as many termites into their mouths as possible.

They have feet that turn inwards and long claws that they use to dig at termite hills. They also eat other insects, birds' eggs and honey and have been spotted shaking trees and climbing them to get fruit.

Barking Deer live quietly in the sanctuary; you would hardly know they are there, apart from their call, which sounds like a dog. If you are rowing down the Kali River and think you hear a dog barking - think again! Barking Deer are solitary and timid, usually spotted alone or in pairs rather than in a group. Be patient (and quiet) if you want to photograph one.

The Indian Pangolin is an amazing ant-eating creature. Its overlapping scales make it look like a Medieval knight in armour! These unusual scales are made up of hundreds of tiny hairs compressed together.

Like the Sloth Bear,the Pangolin likes to snack on termites and ants and has long claws to dig them up. When defending itself from tigers and predators, the Pangolin curls up into a ball, letting its scales protect it.

The Malabar Giant Squirrel or Ratufa Indicais roughly the size of a small dog, with its tail about the same length as its body. It is very shy, and if it senses danger, it will flatten itself on a tree branch and blend in with the foliage. Although predominantly black, colouring can range from mixed red to black and off-white. Keep still and focus on the nearest tree to spot one of these creatures.

LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA AND WHY DANDELI IS A BIRD SPOTTER'S PARADISE

The forest here is awash with colours, a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, including bamboo and teak plantations. The many fruit-bearing trees provide food for the 196 species of birds in the area, and many of the plants are revered for their healing and medicinal properties. For example, the leaves of the Kydia Clycina are used to relieve muscular aches and pains.

The Great Pied Hornbill, Blue-Throated Barbet, Peregrine falcon and the curious-looking Malabar Pied Hornbill are some birds that inhabit the area. This bird is quite large and has a yellow beak with a hard, helmet-like bump on top called a 'casque'.

The city also houses many migrant workers from all over India. Migrants from the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh moved to this industrial town to look for a livelihood, as this quaint town is known for paper mills. Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, and Konkani are also widely spoken in Dandeli. No wonder many term the city a "Mini India."

Besides the forest and adventure activities, several historical monuments and religious spots include the Ulavi temple, the SupaHhydraulic Dam, and the historical caves of Kavla and Syntheri Rocks. Don't wait and get all these counted in your unforgettable memories forever.

HERE ARE OVER 200 SPECIES OF BIRDS IN AND AROUND DANDELI, INCLUDING:

During August and September, Malabar Pied Hornbills flock to the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in large numbers to feast on the fruit trees. They create quite a show - not to be missed..!

MORE ABOUT DANDELI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The sanctuary covers part of the Uttara Kannada District's rich forests on the river Kali's banks. In the jungles of Dandeli, one can spot several animals and birds, including many endangered species, which provided reasonable grounds for the government to declare the Dandeli forest a National Wildlife Sanctuary in 1956.

The sanctuary now covers an area of 834.16 square kilometres, making it the second-largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka. Along with its adjoining Anshi National Park, Dandeli is the abode of 40 tigers. All credit goes to the government's announced Project Tiger, which helped increase the tiger count to 40 from just 13 in 1997.

It's not just tigers; the sanctuary is a natural home to leopards, black panthers, elephants, deer, beer, antelopes, reptiles and more than 300 bird species as well. Meandering tributaries of the Kali-Kaneri and Nagajhari rivers, when crisscrossing the jungle, leave the spectators spellbound.

The altitude varies from 100m to 970m, and the highest point is the Hegada Temba. Annual rainfall varies between 1250mm and 5000mm, averaging 2500mm per year. There is easy access by road and rail and convenient bus services.

The best time to enjoy the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is between March and October, and the centre is open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

There are so many attractions and opportunities on offer at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. Whether you choose action and adventure with whitewater rafting or slow the pace down with peaceful birdwatching and wildlife photography, you'll be spoilt for choice!

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