BR Hills Tiger Reserve

Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve / BR Hills Tiger Reserve (Timings, Entry Fee, Safari Online Booking & How to Reach)

Popularly called as BR Hills Tiger Reserve, Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve is located near Kollegala, in Karnataka state. Spread across an area of 540 sq. km, the BR Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is between two main rivers namely Cauvery and Tungabhadra. The sanctuary was established in the year of 1974 and is at a height of 3,350 to 5000 feet above sea-level.

Along with various kinds of flora and exotic fauna, the BR Hills Tiger Reserve presents tourists with exciting sport opportunities as well as interesting sightseeing options. Some of the activities that tourists can involve in are jeep safari, trekking, elephant rides, professional angling, amateur fishing, coracle boat rides, bird safari, river rafting, camping, etc.

The nearby places which are worth visiting are Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai. The temple of Lord Ranganatha located in the sanctuary also attracts many religious tourists.

Flora @ Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve

The flora of the reserve varies from high altitude grasslands to the evergreen forests and the scrub jungles. Main kinds of forests here are evergreen and deciduous along with grassland vegetation. There are almost 800 species of plants grown in the reserve.

Fauna @ Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve

The main kinds of mammals found in the BR Hills Tiger reserve along with Tigers are Panthers, Gaurs, Chitals, Sambars, Bears, Sloth bears, Civet, Mongoose, Giant squirrel, Porcupine, Common langur, Bonnet macaque, Wild pig, Spotted deer, Elephants, Leopards, Wild dogs, Jungle cat, etc.

The area also boasts of around 270 species of birds. The avian fauna at the reserve is consisted of racquet-tailed drongo, whistling thrush, crested hawk eagle, yellow throated bulbul and many other birds.

Best Time to Visit Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve

The ideal time to visit the reserve is during the months from September to May.

Reaching BR Hills Tiger Reserve

• By air: The nearest airport is Bangalore International airport which is at a distance of 160 km from the reserve. It is well connected to the rest of the country and the world.
• By rail: The nearest railway head is at Mysore which is 80 km away. One can hire a taxi or take a bus from here to the reserve.
• By road: It is easily accessible via road. There are many buses running from Mysore and Bangalore to the BR Hills Tiger Reserve. One can opt for Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangud route. The nearest town to the reserve is Chamrajnagar.

Accommodation @ Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve

Various kinds of accommodation is available at BR hills for the tourists. Some of the options are Maharaja’s Bungalow, tents, ethnic huts, Jungle Lodges, K Gudi Wilderness Camp, etc.