Tourist places › Wildlife
Sakrebailu Elephant Camp
A Forest Department elephant camp on the Tunga, right on the Thirthahalli–Shivamogga road
Sakrebailu is one of only two well-known elephant camps in Karnataka (the other is Dubare, near Kodagu), and it sits directly on the Shivamogga–Thirthahalli road — close enough that buses on this route pass right by it. Caretakers bring the elephants down to the Tunga each morning to bathe and feed before the day's visitors arrive.
The camp is right next to the Gajanur Dam backwaters, with boating sometimes on offer alongside the elephant viewing. It's a straightforward, low-effort stop compared to most of the district's other wildlife spots.
Highlights
- A training and conservation camp for captive elephants, run by the Karnataka Forest Department
- Morning bathing and feeding sessions on the Tunga riverbank
- Boating available on the adjoining Gajanur reservoir backwaters
Getting there
Directly on the Thirthahalli to Shivamogga route — ask the conductor to drop you at the Sakrebailu turning.