- A rare wildlife sighting was recently recorded at Bhadra Tiger Reserve, where a black panther and a leopard were seen drinking water together.
- Situated in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, the reserve extends across Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts. Owing to its healthy tiger population, it was notified as India’s 25th Project Tiger reserve in 1998.
- The reserve has several hill ranges and is shaped like a saucer with gently undulating terrain mixed with valleys and steep hillocks. It is also an elephant reserve with a good population of elephants.
- The area is effectively drained by the Bhadra River and its tributaries.
- Vegetation includes dry deciduous, moist deciduous, shola, and semi-evergreen forest patches.
- Dominant plant species: Teak, rosewood, mathi, honne, nandi, along with several medicinal plants.
- Wildlife diversity is rich, with tiger, leopard, leopard cat, dhole, Indian civet, and ungulates such as gaur, sambar, and barking deer commonly found.
- Birdlife is equally impressive, with nearly 250 species of avifauna recorded from the reserve.
