Kerala Wildlife Tourism
B R Hills Sanctuary
A
unique blend of hill resort and wildlife sanctuary. The hills take their name
from the ancient Ranganatha Swamy Temple that sits at the edge of a granite
precipice with a drop of more than 1000 ft. into a dense forest. Find inner
peace at the foot of the great champak tree (Dodda Sampige,) believed to be
more than 2000 years old and worshipped by the Soligas, the tribals of that
area. Don’t miss the coffee estates, the tribal hamlets and the Vivekananda
Girijana Kalyana Kendra which displays preserved tribal information and the
biodiversity of the region. There are many trekking trails here, including one
that leads up to Honnamati, the highest point of the range.
Best Season: September to May
Location and Area:
Chamarajanagar District;
539.52 sq. kms.
Flora and Fauna:
The vegetation ranges from dry scrub jungle to evergreen forests and
high-altitude shoal grassland habitat.
Mammals:
They include the elephant, tiger, leopard, wild dog, jungle cat, sloth bear,
civet, mongoose, Malabar giant squirrel, porcupine, common langur, bonnet macaque,
wild pig, gaur, sambar, spotted deer and the four-horned antelope.
Birds:
The Malabar whistling thrush, yellow throated bulbul, paradise flycatcher, racquet-tailed
drongo and the crested hawk eagle are some of the birds found here.
There is also an amazing variety of exotic butterflies.
