Agumbe Rainforest Research Station

The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) is one of the ecological research stations in India. The station is located in the forest area of Agumbe at an elevation of 560 m above sea level. The station complex comprises the Kudremukh National Park, Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.

This station was established with an aim to conserve the rainforests of South India. The foundation of the station was laid by Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist. King cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world, inhabits the forest area of Agumbe.

The research station has a record of rescuing and relocating over 100 king cobras in the last 5 years. The King Cobra Radio-Telemetry Project, Photographic Inventories of Flora and Fauna, Canopy Access Studies and Tree Surveys are some of the popular projects started by the station.

The area under the station has been identified as one of the world’s biodiversity regions. Some of the nearby towns and villages like Kundapur, Hosanagara, Shankaranarayana, Sringeri and Thirthahalli also come under the jurisdiction of this station. The research station has a micro hydroelectric unit that helps in maintaining its eco-friendly policy and operates on solar power.