Preface
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 Wynad 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 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.

Mammals at Bandipur National park
Bonner Macaque Nilgiri Langur (adjoining areas) Dhole Smooth-coated Otter Common Palm Civet Stripe-necked Mongoose Jungle Cat Tiger Wild Boar Chital Gaur Indian Palm Squirrel Grizzled Indian Squirrel Liontail Macaque Golden Jackal Sloth Bear Indian Grey Mongoose Striped Hyaena Rusty-spotted Cat Ratel Indian Spotted Chevrotain Sambar Nilgiri Tahr (adjoining areas) Indian Porcupine Hanuman Langur Bengal Fox Eurasian Otter Small Indian Civet Ruddy Mongoose Leopard Cat Leopard Indian Elephant Indian Muntjac Four-horned Antelope Indian Pangolin Indian Hare Red Giant Flying squirrel Indian Giant Squirrel

Climate
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 Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary
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. The nearest rail junction is Mysore (65 km) and the nearest international airport is the software Mecca of Bangalore (204 km).

Where to Stay in Bandipur
The forest department maintains reasonably priced lodges, rest houses and cottages.

Travel Tips
Light cotton clothing is recommended for summers whereas light woolen garments are recommended for the brief winters. During rainy season, it is advisable to carry raincoats, as the rain is accompanied by a light breeze that renders umbrellas useless.