[2] Bhadra sanctuary has a wide range of flora and fauna and is a popular place for day outings.

The Manikyadhara Falls is located on the nearby sacred Baba Budan Giri Hill, The tributaries of the Bhadra river flow west through the sanctuary.

The western border of the sanctuary abuts the Bhadra Reservoir and is part of its catchment area of 1,968 km2 (760 sq mi).

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Lakkavalli, Karnataka; the nearest cities is Tarikere, Birur and Bhadravathi.

Bhadra is the first tiger reserve in the country to complete a successful village relocation program.

One typical 2 ha (4.9 acres) of tropical dry deciduous forest had 46 species, 37 genera and 24 families.

Other commercial timber in the sanctuary includes: mathi, honne, Nandi, tadasalu and kindal.

Other animals in the sanctuary include elephant, Indian Leopard, gaur, sloth bear, wild boar, black leopard, jungle cat, jackal, wild dog, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, common langur, bonnet macaque, slender loris, small Indian civet, common palm civet, pangolin, porcupine, flying squirrel and the Malabar giant squirrel.

[4] Some of the species are grey junglefowl, red spurfowl, painted bush quail, emerald dove, Osprey, southern green imperial pigeon, great black woodpecker, Malabar parakeet, hill myna, ruby-throated bulbul, shama, Malabar trogon, Malabar whistling thrush, four species of hornbill and racquet-tailed drongo.

[12] Management practices of the forest department are habitat improvement, boundary consolidation, protection against poaching and fires, and infrastructure development.

[1] Tunga-Bhadra Lift Irrigation Project promises to bring water to the rain shadow areas of Chikmagalur district by transferring water from the Tunga River to the Bhadra River,[13] however this poses a threat of disturbance to the natural habitat of Bhadra sanctuary.