Dubare Elephant Camp

Dubare Elephant Camp is a forest-based elephant camp on the banks of the Kaveri River in Dubare Reserve Forest, Kodagu district, Karnataka. Managed by the Karnataka Forest Department and Jungle Lodges and Resorts, it houses rescued and trained elephants. The camp is known for visitor interaction activities such as observing elephant bathing, feeding and grooming, and for its riverside forest setting near Kushalnagar between Mysuru and Madikeri.

Visitors can expect a riverside forest camp on an islet formed by the Kaveri River, accessible by a short boat crossing. The site includes elephant shelters, bathing areas along the riverbank, and open forest surroundings. Visitors can observe elephants being bathed, fed and groomed by mahouts, learn about elephant care and history from naturalists, and take nature walks, birdwatching and coracle rides on the river. Accommodation in forest cottages is available inside the camp.

Dubare was historically an important camp for capturing and training elephants for the Mysore Dasara and for timber logging operations. After logging was banned, the camp was repurposed by the Karnataka Forest Department for the care of rescued, orphaned and retired elephants and is now managed jointly with Jungle Lodges and Resorts for conservation and education.

The camp is associated with the traditional elephant-keeping culture of Karnataka and the Mysore Dasara tradition where trained elephants play a ceremonial role. It serves as an educational centre on human-elephant coexistence and conservation for visitors to the Kodagu region.