Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats near Hebri in Udupi district, Karnataka. Established in 1974, it covers evergreen and semi-evergreen forests along the Sita River. Notable for its rich biodiversity including tigers, leopards, elephants and king cobras, it forms a contiguous forest corridor with Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary and Agumbe. The sanctuary is known for dense forests, trekking trails and birdwatching opportunities.

Visitors can expect dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats with hilly terrain, riverine valleys along the Sita River, and rich wildlife. The sanctuary offers guided nature walks and trekking trails through forest interiors, opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife viewing, and viewpoints of forested hills. Facilities are basic and forest department permission is required. The area is largely undisturbed with limited infrastructure, best explored with a guide.

Declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1974 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to protect the evergreen forests and fauna of the Western Ghats in Udupi and Shivamogga districts. Named after the Someshwara village/temple in the area, it was established to conserve large mammals and the watershed of the Sita River and forms an important corridor with adjoining Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.

Located in a region with local reverence for forest deities and the historic Someshwara temple after which it is named; the surrounding Western Ghats landscape holds traditional significance for nearby agrarian and forest communities.