Karnataka, a southern Indian state, is a famous tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors.

Karnataka received 28 crore domestic tourists and over 3 lakh international visitors in the first seven months of 2023.

Karnataka has a lot to offer travelers, from adventure to history and religion. However, the ‘wild side’ of Karnataka is sometimes disregarded.

Karnataka contains around 20 wildlife sanctuaries with wildlife such as tigers, leopards, black panthers, elephants, and many others.

Here is the list of 7 Best Wildlife Spotting Locations in Karnataka

  • National Park of Bandipur
  • National Park of Nagarhole
  • Kabini Wildlife Reserve
  • Tiger Reserve of Kali
  • The National Park of Kudremukh
  • Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
  • Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary

National Park of Bandipur

While Madhya Pradesh has held the label of ‘Tiger State,’ few people know the size of the big cat population in Karnataka.

According to the NTCA, Karnataka has 563 tigers as of 2022, making it the state with the second-largest population of India’s national animal. Bandipur’s nearest airports are Mysuru in Karnataka and Calicut in Kerala, both of which are less than 100 kilometers apart. Mysore has the nearest major railway station.

 

National Park of Nagarhole

The Nagarhole National Park, located in the Karnataka districts of Kodagu and Mysore, is one of the best sites to witness tigers, leopards, and elephants in their natural habitat. Bison, wild boar, sambar deer, antelope, spotted deer, and other bird species live in the 640-square-kilometer sanctuary. Mysore has the nearest airport and train station to Nagarhole.

 

Kabini Wildlife Reserve

Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife hotspot that is part of the Nagarhole National Park. The 55-acre reserve was named after the Kabini River and is famous for its black panther, Saya.

Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, bison, elephants, chital, sambal deer, barking deer, and other animals can also be found in Kabini.

Tiger Reserve of Kali

Kali Tiger Reserve, formerly known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, is located in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district. Tigers, black panthers, and elephants live in the reserve. It is also a popular birding location in Karnataka, with over 197 bird species.

The National Park of Kudremukh

The Kudremukh National Park is 96 kilometers from the district of Chikmagalur and covers 600 square km. Tigers, leopards, wild dogs, Malabar squirrels, common langurs, sloth bears, porcupines, jackals, and other animals can be found at Kudremukh.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

 

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya District is a bird watcher’s paradise. Ranganathittu, Karnataka’s largest bird sanctuary, is home to approximately 170 different species.

Painted storks, kingfishers, cormorants, darters, herons, river terns, egrets, Indian roller, black-headed ibis, spoonbill, great stone plover, and spot-billed pelicans are the most prevalent birds at Ranganathittu.

Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary

The Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary in the Udupi district is named after Goddess Mookambika, the presiding deity of the Mookambika Temple.

Mookambika Railway Station is the nearest railway station, and Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport.