Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected forest area in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, near the town of Dandeli on the banks of the Kali River. Established in 1956 and now part of the Kali Tiger Reserve, it covers about 866 sq km of deciduous and evergreen forests in the Western Ghats. Notable for rich biodiversity including tigers, leopards, elephants, black panthers and over 200 bird species including the Malabar pied hornbill.

Visitors can expect dense forests of the Western Ghats intersected by the Kali River, with jeep safari tracks, watchtowers and riverine landscapes. The sanctuary offers sightings of wildlife such as deer, bison, elephants and diverse birds, along with eco-tourism activities around the forest lodges. Areas include core safari zones, birdwatching trails, and river stretches for boating and rafting, with interpretation facilities and guided tours.

Declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1956, it is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka. In 2007 it was combined with Anshi National Park to form the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, now notified as Kali Tiger Reserve, to protect tiger and elephant corridors in the Western Ghats.