Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife area located in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagara districts of Karnataka state. Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary was originally established on 14 January 1987 with an area of about 510 km². Later it was gradually expanded by adding more forest areas to the present extent of 1,027 km². and extended to provide for the protection, conservation and development of its environment.
Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is 230 kilometers from Bangalore, about 152 kilometers from Mysore and 128 kilometers from Chamarajanagar. And it is 90 km from Kollegala and only 20 km from Malemahadeshwar Hill.
The sanctuary has elevations ranging from 125 meters to 1,514 meters. “Ponnachi Betta” is the highest mountain in the center of the sanctuary. Its northern and southern boundaries are separated by the Kaveri River on the Eastern Ghats, which flows from west to east. The Cauvery River flows through this sanctuary, and the inter-state border between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is separated by 73 kilometers of densely forested riverbanks. The sanctuary is named after the river Kaveri, which flows through the region for a total length of 101 km.
Important places along the river that flows through the sanctuary are Hogenakal Falls (Smoking Rock), Mekedatu and Sangama (confluence of Kaveri and Arkavati rivers). An important religious center within the sanctuary is the Muttathi Anjaneya Temple, the Cauvery fishing camp at Bhimeswari.
The boundary of the sanctuary is seen with surrounding border areas consisting of agricultural land and forests.
Human habitation within the sanctuary and within a radius of 5 kilometers of the sanctuary consists of eight city-like towns and 30 villages respectively, whose main occupation is agriculture. Along the boundary of the sanctuary, a moat is constructed to prevent elephants from migrating to neighboring villages and damaging agricultural land.
The northwestern part of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area has no vegetation, but the rest of the sanctuary has good forests.
Major species of trees found in this sanctuary are Terminalia arjuna, Jambul, Albizia amara, Feronia sp., Tamarindus indica, Mangifera indica, Hardwickia binata, Acacia armata, Nilgiri mistus and Acacia, Feronia and Ficus and several other species.
It is home to mammals like Bengal Tiger, Indian Elephant, Wild Boar, Indian Leopard, Sloth Bear, Dhol, Spotted Deer. Axis, barking deer, sambar, four-horned antelope, black-napi hare, chevrotain, common langur, bonnet macaque, honey badger, Malabar giant squirrel, giant-squirrel, grizzled giant squirrel are under the most endangered category in Karnataka state. The otters in the river reaches of this sanctuary are the habitats of the riparian areas. The river banks are filled with sand and boulders, mostly sand, stones, gravel and vegetation.
