As you trudge on the off-beaten track with the constant company of the pitter-patter of rain and the green treetops swaying to the tune of the zephyr, your ears perk up at the distant croaking of toads, the melodious chirps of numerous marvellous birds while your eyes scan your surroundings for a glimpse of the coveted Indian King Cobra silently slithering in its singular abode.
Rolling mountaintops and gushing streams all around, a lush green canopy overhead and the invigorating smell of the rain-kissed soil warmly welcome us to the wet, wild world of the Agumbe Rainforest.
A registered UNESCO World Heritage Site in the wondrous Western Ghats, Agumbe is situated in the Thirthahalli Taluk of North Karnataka’s Shimoga district, about 350 km from Bangalore. It is popularly known as the ‘Cherrapunji of the South’ as it receives around 7000 mm of rainfall annually,
Agumbe is a tiny mountain village, inhabited by only a few hundred people and is also known as the ‘Cobra Capital of India’. Apart from the majestic Indian King Cobra, this rainforest is home to over 70 species of snakes, several endemic birds such as the Malabar trogon, the Malabar grey hornbill, the Yellow-browed bulbul; reptiles and amphibians such as the cane turtle, the Malabar gliding frog, blue-eyed bush frog, the flying lizard and hundreds of other thriving creatures of the miniature world!
Apart from these unique species, on an Agumbe wildlife tour, one can also spot the endangered lion-tailed macaque, the slender loris, the Indian gaur and if riding on a huge wave of luck, an elusive Indian leopard!
This pristine green Eden of the Agumbe rainforest is a priceless biodiversity hotspot and its teeming wildlife gives us a glimpse of millions of invaluable years of natural history!