Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary
General Information | ||
Total Area | 874 sq. km. |
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Best time to visit | November - June. | |
Accommodation | Hotel & Restaurants. | |
Nearest Town | Mysore (80 km). | |
How to get there | Train: Mysore (80 km), Air: Mysore (80). | |
Species found | Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Dhole, Chital, Sambar, Slothbear, Four-horned antelope, Langur, Wild boar, Muntjac. |
Once the
private game reserve of the Mysore maharajas, Bandipur, the large
forest (866 sq km) south of the river Kabini is now part of the
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and one of WWF’s Project Tiger sites. It
neighbours the Nagarhole National Park, the Mudumalai National Park
in Tamil Nadu and Wynaad in Kerala. All together this area makes for
the largest protected forest in India.
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 Park was expanded
later in 1941 to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which lay
towards its northern edge, and Wynaad 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.
Bandipur has a sizeable population of wildlife - elephant, spotted
deer and sambar, gaur and flying squirrel, four horned antelope,
Nilgiri langur and sloth bear. Amongst the reserve’s most prominent
animals are its 1,900-odd elephants.
The Royal Bengal tiger (75 in the Park) and leopard are even more
elusive here than elsewhere because the moister region that they
inhabit falls under the protected core area where casual visitors
are not allowed. Mostly dry deciduous forest with an abundance of
teak on the periphery, the moister core area of Bandipur, has large
tracts of fragrant sandalwood and rosewood. However, some summers
this area too gets unbearably dry and during these times the animals
migrate to the neighbouring wetter Mudumalai Park.
Entry Requirements
All visitors to Bandipur have to get entry permits at the entrance
to the park. These cost about Rs 150 (for foreigners) and
considerably less for Indians. Additional charges are levied for
cameras, vehicles, and elephant or jeep rides.