State : Karala Area details
Total Area : Bandipur 87,420 hectares

Bandipur National Park is a beautiful forest reserve located in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. This national park occupies a special place in India’s efforts towards natural conservation. It was created in the 1930s from the local Maharaja Voodiyar’s hunting lands, and named Venugopal Wildlife Park. Bandipur National Park was expanded later in 1941 to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which lay towards its northern edge, and Wayanad and Madumulai Sanctuaries, which lay towards its southern edge in the states of Kerala and Tamilnadu, respectively. The entire area now constitutes the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of India's most extensive tracts of protected forest. It has been a designated tiger reserve in 1973. It became one of the sanctuaries selected across India for Project Tiger Scheme by the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature. The project is designed to save the tiger and its natural habitat from potential dangers. In 1974, the Bandipur was declared as a National Park under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Bandipur National Park lies in the Indian Deccan plateau area, thus being totally in the shadow of the Western Ghats. The region is well endowed in terms of vegetation and flora that ranges from deciduous and evergreen forest covers to open grassy woodlands. Valuable hardwoods including rosewood and teak are also found here. The lifeline of the forest is the Moyar River, which irrigates the area along with two minor rivulets. The river also acts as a boundary between the Park and the Madumulai Sanctuary. Bandipur is one of the finest and most accessible habitats of the Asiatic elephant. Its vast open spaces make it a pleasant and convenient outing for visitors to see the elephant in its natural surroundings.

Some of the main animal species found in the park are Tigers, Leopards, Elephants, Gaurs, Sambar, Chital, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Black Napped Hare, Sloth Beer, Wild dog (Dhole), Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Indian Giant Red Squirrel, 4 Horned Antelope (Chausingha), Porcupines, Slender Loris, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Small Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Common Otter, Wild Boar, Jackal, 4 varieties of Mongoose, Flying Squirrels, Pangolin, Giant Fruit Bats and Striped Hyenas.A lot of these species are seen close to the accommodation facilities available in the park. To get a closer view of the animals, one can book a 'Machan' near the watering hole.

Over 230 species of birds have been identified in the park. Some of the most notable ones are the Serpent Eagles, Shaheen Falcons, Crested Hawk Eagles, Ospreys, Gray Headed Firhings, Honey Buzzards, Malabar Pied Hornbills, Stork, Egret, Kite, Peafowl, Lapwing, Sandpiper, Drongo and the warbler, Hill Mynas, King Vultures, Malabar Trogon, Gray Partridges, Black Woodpeckers, Indian Pittas, Paradise Flycatchers, Cormorants, Teals, Ducks, Herons, Waders, Gray Jungle Fowl, Red Spur Fowl, Blue Bearded Bee-Eaters, Parakeets, Lesser Coucals, Scarlet Minivets, Fairy Blue Birds, Scimitar Babblers, Malabar Whistling Thrushes, Green Imperial Pigeons, Nightjars and Owls.

The Reptile family is represented by marsh Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Rock Pythons, Russel's Vipers, Cobras, Rat Snakes, Wolf Snakes, Indian python, Vine Snakes, Common Kraits, Green Keelbacks, Bamboo Pit Vipers, Turtles, Flying Lizards and many other varieties of snakes.
Besides the animals, the park provides other interesting tourist places such as the Gopalaswami Betta and the Rolling Rocks the highest peak in the Bandipur range. Gopalaswami Betta provides a view of the Mysore plateau and its adjoining hills. The Rolling Rocks, to the south of the forest, offer views of the 260-meter-deep Mysore Ditch and the entire Moyar gorge. The entire park is well irrigated by four rivers, which are Kabini, Nagu, Mule-hole and Moyar. Kabini dam separates Bandipur from the Nagarhole reserve where as The Moyar River acts as a boundary between the park and the Madhumalai Sanctuary.

Climate (Bandipur National Park)
The region is warm and comfortable for most parts of the year with temperatures ranging from 24 to 28°C, except for the brief winter that lasts from October to January when the temperature hovers around the 19°C mark. Monsoon is erratic, but it generally rains from June to September.


How to Reach
Air : The nearest airport to the park is located at Mysore situated 80 kms from the park.

Train : The nearest Railway Station to the park is located at Nanjungud 55 kms away followed by the Mysore station at a distance of 80 kms.

By Road : Bandipur National Park is located on the highway connecting Mysore and the hill station of Ootacamund (Ooty). Reaching Bandipur by bus is very convenient. All regular and express state transport buses plying between Ooty and Mysore pass through the park fringes and the Forest Department Center is a designated bus stop. It takes 2½ hours to reach Bandipur forest from Mysore and about 3 hours from Ooty.