Tiger Reserves In India

Karnataka Kudremukh Tiger Reserve

Kudermukh Tiger Reserve also known as Kudermukh National Park is a wildlife sanctuary which extends on a vast area of 600 sq kms. This area is full of abundant green forests which are interspersed with traces of old civilization, caves, ruins, rare orchids, captivating cascades, grassy slopes and rivers, which leave you speechless and stunning. This place offers one of the best places for trekking.

During trekking, you can cover different spots like Lakya Dam which is located near Kudermukh project region in Kudermukh range. In this tiger reserve, you can see rich bio diversity in the form of flora and fauna which shoal grassland habitat that are very high as 1400 mts. Kudermukh Tiger Reserve falls under Global Tiger Conservation Priority 1, which comes under the format that is developed jointly by the Wildlife Conservation Society together with World Wide Fund (USA).

History

Kudermukh Tiger Reserve was recently approved by the Government of India. Earlier this tiger reserve was known as a national park, but in the year 2011, the government of India declared this national park as a tiger reserve. This tiger reserve is ranked as the fifth tiger reserve in Karnataka and 41st tiger reserve in India. In the year 1916, the British government had also declared this region as a reserve forest with an aim to protect the Western Ghats from deforestation and burning down forest practices. The government declared this tiger reserve as a national park on the basis of recommendations made by Dr. Ullas Karanth.

Weather and Best Time to Visit

The forests of Kudermukh Tiger Reserve appear fluorescent amid the months of October and May. The vertical peaks and valley increase the beauty of the park during the monsoon season. The temperature at this national park is moderate during the whole year. Winters are pleasant which are perfect for sightseeing while summers are perfect for spotting animals and trekking. The climate at Kudermukh is cool and health throughout the year.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Kudermukh National Park is amid December and February.

Places to Visit

Kudermukh Tiger Reserve boasts of unique flora and fauna together with different adventurous activities. Apart from visiting this national park, there are some other tourist spots which must be visited like – Lakya Dam, Rajendra Hill, Kudermukh Peak, Ganga Moola, Hebbe Falls, Hanuman Gundi Falls, and Radha Krishna Temple etc.

How to Reach

By Rail

The nearest railway station at Kudermukh Tiger Reserve is Mangalore which connects this city to many other major cities of India.

By Air

The closest domestic airport which is just 130 kms away from this reserve is Mangalore, while Bangalore is the closest international airport. You can hire a cab in order to reach this national park. The international and domestic airports are well connected to different other cities of India.

By Road

Kudermukh is very well connected by road. There are private and public buses which run very often from Mangalore and Bangalore. Luxury and A/C deluxe buses are available which cost very economical.

Flora and Fauna

Flora

The main kind of flora which one can witness here consists of high altitude shoal grasslands, semi-evergreen forests, and tropical evergreen forests. Acknowledged for its scenic beauty, this national park is encircled by natural dense forests.

Fauna

Kudermukh Tiger Reserve has rich bio diversity with highly endangered together with wildlife species like wild dogs, leopards, and tigers. Apart from this, Kudermukh Tiger Reserve is a home to nearly 169 species of birds out of which 8 are endemic in the Western Ghats. This park is also a home to 50 species of reptiles together with 34 species of amphibians.

Together with mighty tigers, there are many other animals that you can spot like – barking deer, spotted deer, Sambar, sloth bear, common langur, lion-tailed macaque, jackal, wild dog and leopard, mongoose, porcupine, giant flying squirrel, Malabar giant squirrel etc. Some commonly found reptiles are tortoise and different species of snakes.

Wildlife

Kudermukh Tiger Reserve is a wonderful place for spotting mammals, reptiles, and birds of 169 species. Some of the endangered species found here are imperial pigeon birds, Malabar whistling thrush, great pied hornbill, and Malabar trogon.

Where to Stay

There are different kinds of accommodation options offered at Kudremukh Tiger Reserve that are comfortable and decent. There are government cottages also. Apart from this, you can find different resorts and hotels.

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