Bandipur

Bandipur National Park was once the hunting reserve for the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. Established in the year 1974 as a forest tiger reserve under the Project Tiger, Bandipur is the most prominent national park located in the south Indian state of Karnataka and is best known for its varied wildlife boasting different biomes in the dry deciduous forest. It is considered as one of the best managed parks of India.

The park stretches across an area of 874 sq km with a great objective of protecting the endangered species like tigers and elephants in this region along with protecting and restricting the over-usages of the sandalwood trees in the reserve area. Around 80 kms of distance from the city of Mysore on the way towards Ooty, one of the major hotspots of the area, Bandipur National Park brings a warm and comfortable climate throughout the year with a normal temperature range of 24 to 28°C to enjoy the tourists for a marvelous wildlife tour. Monsoon is erratic here but it generally rains from June to September to bring more lushly varieties around the reserve areas.

One can salubriously enjoy lodging and camping in the area while enjoying for the safari tours in Bandipur.The Bandipur National Park is the region always accosted with tremendous counts of wildlife species including varied mammals and vulnerable kinds of species like Bonner Macaque Nilgiri Langur (adjoining areas), Dhole, Common Palm, Civet, Smooth-coated Otter, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Jungle Cat, Tiger, Wild Boar, Chital, Gaur, Grizzled Indian Squirrel, Liontail Macaque, Indian Palm, Giant Flying squirrel, Golden Jackal, Sloth Bear, Indian Grey Mongoose, Striped Hyaena, Ratel, Indian Spotted Chevrotain, Rusty-spotted Cat, Sambar, Nilgiri Tahr (adjoining areas), Indian Porcupine, Hanuman Langur, Bengal Fox, Eurasian, Otter Small Indian Civet, Ruddy, Leopard, Cat Leopard, Indian Elephant, Four-horned Antelope, Indian Muntjac, Indian Pangolin, Mongoose, Indian Hare Red, Indian Giant Squirrel with more species on the list.

Apart from grand varieties of wildlife in the area Bandipur National Park claims greenery all around the vicinity. The area is blooming with great varieties of timber trees including: Teak (Tectona grandis), Sandalwood (Santalum album V), Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), Indian Kino Tree (Pterocarpus marsupium), giant clumping bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus), Indian-laurel (Terminalia tomentosa), clumping bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) and Grewia tiliaefolia.

Apart from such variety, there are also several notable flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs holding the arena like: Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis), Kadam Tree (Adina Cordifolia), Crape-myrtle (Lagerstroemia Lanceolata), Axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia), Black Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), Schleichera Trijuga, Odina Wodiar, Flame of the Forest (Butea Monosperma), Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula), Black Cutch (Acacia catechu), Shorea Talura (E), Indigo Berry (Randia uliginosa), Satinwood (Chloroxylon Swietenia).