Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · Facts as of 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read
1. Forests
- Forests cover roughly a fifth of the state, concentrated in the Western Ghats (Malnad).
- Types: tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen (Ghats), moist deciduous (Malnad fringe), dry deciduous and scrub (plateau).
- Sandalwood grows in the dry deciduous forests of the south; Karnataka has long been "the land of sandalwood".
2. State symbols
| Symbol | Karnataka |
|---|---|
| State animal | Asian elephant |
| State bird | Indian roller (Neelakanta) |
| State tree | Sandalwood |
| State flower | Lotus |
3. National parks and tiger reserves
| Park / reserve | District | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bandipur | Chamarajanagar | One of the first Project Tiger reserves (1973); joins Mudumalai (TN) and Wayanad (Kerala) |
| Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi NP) | Kodagu, Mysuru | Tiger reserve; Kabini backwaters |
| Bhadra | Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga | Tiger reserve |
| Kali (Anshi–Dandeli) | Uttara Kannada | Renamed Kali Tiger Reserve in 2015 |
| Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) | Chamarajanagar | Tiger reserve; home of the Soliga tribe, among the first forest dwellers to win recognised rights inside a tiger reserve |
| Kudremukh | Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada | Shola forests and grasslands |
| Bannerghatta | Bengaluru Urban | National park with a biological park |
- Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986, India's first) includes Bandipur and Nagarhole.