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Information about Bandipur National Park |
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Bandipur National Park is the beautiful forest reserve located in the Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka. This national park occupies a special place in India’s efforts towards natural conservation. This park was created in the 1930 from the local Maharaja Voodiyar’s hunting lands and named Venugopal Wildlife Park. In 1941, the Bandipur National Park was expanded to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which is situated towards its northern edge, and Wayanad and Mudumulai Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are situated towards its southern edge in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The entire area now constitutes the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of the most extensive tracts of protected forest in India.
In 1973, Bandipur became one of the India's first Tiger
Reserves, established under Project Tiger. In 1974,
Bandipur was declared as a national park. |
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The Bandipur National Park covers an area of 231 square kms. The vegetation in the park comprises of the open dry deciduous forests to tropical mixed deciduous forests and evergreen forest to open grassy woodlands. Valuable trees of rosewood and teak are also found here. The Moyar River along with two minor rivulets, irrigates the area. The river also acts as a boundary between the Park and the Madumulai Sanctuary. Due to a moderate climate and diverse geographical features, the park supports a large variety of flora and fauna. |
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Wildlife
Attractions in the Bandipur National Park
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The Bandipur National Park is one of the finest and most accessible habitats of the Asiatic elephant. Its vast open spaces make it a pleasant and convenient place for visitors to see the herds of elephants, gaurs, spotted deer, sambar and tiger in its natural surroundings. Jungle Cat, Wild Boar, Barking deer, Wild dog, Jackal, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, Langur monkey and Chital are the various other animals which can also be seen in this national park. There is also a wide range of bird life. |
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Jungle Safari in Bandipur National Park |
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The best way to move around the Bandipur National Park is by having a safari in the jeep and the open van. The open van is run by the park authorities and
carries it's own guide who is quite experienced in spotting and identifying wildlife. The most enjoyable way of viewing wildlife by moving around the park is
on the back of the elephant. There is no noise and it is also possible to go into the thick jungles where vehicles cannot go. However, the best time to sight
the animals is early in the morning and in the late afternoon or early evening. |
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Best Time to Visit Bandipur National Park |
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The best time to visit the Bandipur National Park is between the months of April and October. During the summers, the backwaters of the Kabini Reservoir in
the northwestern portion of the park host huge congregations of large mammals, especially the elephant and the gaur. This is one of the most unique feature
of the park and only one of its kind in Asia. |
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How to get here |
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By Air:
The nearest airport is at Bangalore which is about 220 km.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is situated at Ooty and Mysore, about 80 kms. Ooty is connected by rail with Madras and Mysore.
By Road:
The Bandipur National Park is about 220 km from Bangalore, 80 km from Mysore and 78 km from Ooty. |
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