SAKREBYLE ELEPHANT CAMP- Karnataka Tourism

Sakrebyle Elephant Camp

About Sakrebyle Elephant Camp

If you thought only human beings need love and care not just for their physical well-being but also for mental health, you are wrong. Elephants also need the same amount of love and care, especially when they are dealing with behavioural disorders or nutritional deficiencies. . Yes, you read it right. Sakrebyle Elephant Camp is a forest camp; located 14 km from Shimoga headquarters and is the shelter for such elephants.

Located on the banks of River Tunga, Sakrebyle Elephant Camp is the home for elephants with behavioural disorders and nutritional deficiencies. Maintained by the Karnataka Forest Department, the camp not only attracts wildlife enthusiasts and tourists but also eagers who want to study elephants. It is a great opportunity for them to closely monitor the behavioural patterns of the elephants in the camp.
An initiative by Karnataka State Government, to shelter these elephants in the camp and let them live in the wilderness too. The eco-tourism centre facilitates every possible care given to these elephants. After the morning hours, when the elephants are in the camp, they are left in the Shettihalli forest to intermingle or socialise with the resident elephants. At present, there are 21 elephants in the camp.

Experiences at the Camp

There are multiple reasons to be in Sakrebyle elephant Camp and not just to see them. The camp is not a zoo, it is a habitat where one can observe, feel, bathe and feed the elephants. One can even take a ride. This is a training camp where elephants are looked after by the trained Mahouts.

Observation

The best way of learning is by observation. Spend some time at the camp to observe how elephants behave, eat food, their moods and other behavioural patterns. The elephants that require any sort of attention or medication are brought to the camp every day for 3 hours from 8.30 am to 11.30 am. You can observe these elephants within these hours.

Elephant Bathing

It is a pleasant sight to see how the trained mahouts give baths to the elephants. On the banks of the river Tunga with hills in the background, the elephants are given a bath every day. It is so satisfying to see how the elephants play in the water, especially the kids enjoy being with them. By paying Rs 100 per person, you can personally be with the Mahouts while they give bath to elephants. This is the main activity and an attraction that travellers look forward to when visiting the camp. You need to reach on time to be able to enjoy the activity as the schedule is fixed every day. Seeing elephants play in the water is a must to do activity when visiting Shimoga

Elephant Feeding

The morning hour is the breakfast or the meal time for elephants and the food is prepared at the camp itself. The mahouts and their helpers feed the elephants as the main meal of the day. The visitors get an opportunity to witness how elephants are fed and how they consume food. The meal for the rest of the day is in the jungle when they go back. The other meals of the day are also served by the camp staff. It is interesting to know how these elephants respond to the first meal of the day

Elephant Ride

The all-time favourite activity for all age groups is the elephant ride. The elephants are not taken out of the camp hence the ride is inside the camp only. Although it’s an attraction for kids, adults enjoy it too. A ride for about 10 minutes costs Rs 75 for adults and Rs 40 for children. The mahouts and the caretakers decide on the elephants for the ride based on their physical and mental health.
The camp is set up amidst a composed and lush-green peaceful environment and is one of the best training camps for elephants in the state of Karnataka.

How to Reach

Sakrebyle Elephant camp is just 13 km from district headquarters and can easily be reached by road. It takes about 20-25 minutes to reach.

By Air

Sakrebyle elephant camp can be reached by road from Shimoga district. There is no airport in the Shimoga district; however, the nearest airport is Mangalore which is approximately 165 km from Shimoga. One can take cabs or public transport buses to reach Shimoga.

By Road

Shimoga is well connected by road to the major cities and small towns of Karnataka. Mangalore is 165 km and Bangalore is around 285 km away from Shimoga. Travellers can hire a taxi or auto-rickshaw from Shimoga district to Sakrebyle Elephant Camp, which is just 14 km from Shimoga headquarters.