Bandipur National Park is one of the most beautiful and well-maintained national parks in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka state, covering an area of 868.63 km. A forested area on the Mysore-Ooty highway in Karnataka amidst the beautiful surroundings of the high Western Ghats mountains, the park offers beautiful scenery with cool climate, along with Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala’s Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Nagarahole National Park in the north.
Bandipur National Park is 213 km from Bangalore and 74 kilometers from Mysore. Also 47 kilometers from Chamarajanagar and it is 15 kilometers away from Gundlupete.
Bandipur Tiger Reserve was established in 1973 as a tiger reserve under the Tiger Project. It has been a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986.
Bandipur wildlife is known for its amazing diversity. The national park is known for its impressive of animals, mammals, reptiles, birds and insects.
Bandipur National Park straddles the Western Ghats of the Deccan Plateau. The park has hilly elevation ranging from 680 m to 1,500 m. As a result, the park has a variety of zones, including dry deciduous forests, moist forests, deciduous forests, and shrubby forests. A wide range of habitats helps to have a wide variety of organisms. The park is bounded by the Kabini River in the north and Moir in the south. The Nugu River flows through the park. The highest point in the park is the Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill, which has a Hindu temple on its summit and is the highest point in the park. The temple attracts pilgrims throughout the year.
Bandipur has a typical tropical climate with typical forests, cool areas, dry and hot season usually starting in early March and ending with the arrival of monsoon rains in June.
Bandipur National Park has a wide range of trees including teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian-laurel, Indian kino tree, giant clumping bamboo, etc…
A famously photographed and dominant tiger named Prince ruled the Bandipur National Park Tiger Reserve for about seven years. Prince Tiger’s roar echoed over an area of 10-12 square kilometers.
More than 200 species of birds and diversity of flora add to its attractiveness. These animals are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act of India and are given special attention by the forest authorities.
Also a number of notable flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs: kadam tree, Indian gooseberry, crape-myrtle, oxwood black myrobalan, odina wodiar, flame of the forest, golden shower tree, satinwood, black cutch, shoria talura, indigoberry.
Bandipur National Park is home to Asiatic elephant, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, golden jackal and dholes. Mammals commonly seen on the park’s public access roads include chital, gray langur, Indian giant squirrel and Indian elephant. Tiger, Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Indian Elephant, Glass Blue Tiger, Dark Blue Tiger, Plain Tiger, Striped/Common Tiger, Gaur, Wild Buffalo, Indian Wild Dog, Sambar Deer, Sloth Bear, Gray Langur, Wild Boar, Indian Sheep , , gaur (a type of bull), rat deer, four-horned antelope, wild dogs, sloth bear, panther, Malabar squirrel.
Birds common to Bandipur along with porcupines, black-and-red hare, blue peafowl, white peafowl, gray grouse and green pigeon, crows and drongos are also found here. Bandipur has a large number of tigers
Bandipur is home to more than 200 species of birds, including red-headed vulture, Indian vulture, common buzzard, hoopoe, Indian roller, brown fish owl, crested serpent eagle, hawk-eagle, osprey and many bees. Predatory and kingfisher species are common in winter.
