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SANCTUARY SPOTLIGHT

Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary

The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary (BRT) is spread over an area of 540 sq.km. Located at the eastern most edge of the Western Ghats, it is an important link between the Western and Eastern Ghats. The hills are in the Yelandur taluk of Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.The hills are contiguous with the Satyamangalam range southwards, in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary derives its name "Biligiri" either from the white rock face that constitutes the major hill crowned with the temple of Lord Rangaswamy, or from the white mist and the silver clouds that cover the hills for a greater part of the year.

Flora: The vegetation includes scrub, dry and moist deciduous, evergreen, sholas and high-altitude grasslands. The area is also known for its medicinal plants.

Animals: The forests form an important wildlife corridor between the Western and the Eastern ghats, linking the largest populations of Asian elephants and tigers. The Indian Gaur, the leopard, the dhole, sambhar, chital, barking deer and the rare four-horned antelope make their home here. There are 26 mammal species and about 278 species of birds, about 22 species of reptiles and 116 species of butterflies. An interesting study has revealed that 48 species of ants are found here, many of them for the first time in India. A recent (2005) survey of tigers by DNA analysis of scat samples has revealed 17 tigers, although the number may be more.

Best time to visit: Between September and May

How to get there

Nearest airport:

Bangalore

Nearest railhead: Mysore/Chamarajanagar

By road: It is connected by road, one from Yelandur and the other via Chamarajanagar. Bangalore is about 200 km away, Mysore, 85 km away and Ooty, 225 km away. There are buses to BRT from Mysore.

Accommodation: The Forest Department has guesthouses.

Contact: DCF, Chamarajanagar Wildlife Division at 08226-222059.

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