Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the major natural wildlife destinations in south India. It is named Talakaveri which is the origin of the famous Cauvery River of the South, a place of religious significance for the people of Kodagu, where the sanctuary is located.

Location and Other Details

Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Coorg region of the state of Karnataka. Coorg is also known as Kodagu by the Kannadigas. The sanctuary lies in the Western Ghats and covers an area of approximately 105 square kilometers. The sanctuary gets a large number of visitors from various parts of India. Many foreign tourists also visit the place which was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1987.

Talakaveri wildlife sanctuary is 1,712 meters above sea level and is a pleasant place to visit, especially during the winter season when the temperatures hover around a very pleasant 10 to 18 degrees centigrade. The sanctuary with its dense, evergreen tropical forests gets heavy to very heavy rainfalls during the monsoon season.

Flora and Fauna

The evergreen tropical forests within the sanctuary have various types of plants and plantations including those of coffee and cardamom. There are many types of wild animals inhabiting the sanctuary. These include elephants, wild pigs, wild dogs, sloth bear, common palm and brown palm civet, Indian langur, spotted and sambar deer, barking and mouse deer, Malabar giant squirrel and giant flying squirrel, various types of mongoose such as brown, striped-necked, common and Ruddy, Marten, Nilgiri, tigers, wild jackal, gaur, porcupine and more.

The sanctuary also has a variety of dangerous snakes including the King Cobra, Rat snake, the cobra and python among others. You can also see rare and interesting birds here like the Malabar trogon, broad-billed roller, black eagle, fairy bluebird, great pied hornbill and many others.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Talakaveri Wild Life Sanctuary is from October through April after the downpour has stopped and the forests gets a magical fresh green carpeted look. Visiting the sanctuary during the monsoon months is not advisable because heavy rains can make the place inaccessible and you can be caught in an uncomfortable situation. Temperature during summer season hovers around 35 – 38 degrees but the forests and the lush green environs make the sanctuary appear cooler than what the temperature is in the surrounding areas.

Accommodation

You can rest in small sheds made of cement floor and thatched roofs which are in fact, the place where forest patrolling staff members take rest in between their rigorous duty hours. Tents can be pitched at Kallu Mantapa during non-monsoon months if you are a camping and trekking enthusiast. For the less adventurous, there are many small and medium-sized hotels, lodges and resting homes available at an affordable price.

Visitor Information

Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is open to visitors on all days of the week from early morning to late evening. Trekking and camping opportunities are available for those who love outdoor adventure. It’s advisable to avoid such activities during monsoon when the terrain can get tough to negotiate.

How to Reach

By Road

Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is around 25 km from Madikeri which is approximately 120 km from Mysore. Madikeri is also the nearest town from the sanctuary. It is about 130 km from Mangalore.

By Rail

The railway station nearest to Talakaveri Wild Life Sanctuary is Mangalore Junction which is about 130 km from the sanctuary.

By Air

Mangalore International Airport is the airport nearest to Talakaveri wildlife sanctuary.