Part of the lushly-forested Deccan Plateau, Bandipur, in Karnataka, offers a rich and varied wildlife habitat. It is a part of a larger national park, which also includes the neighbouring wildlife sanctuaries, of Mudumalai Tamil Nadu and Wynad in Kerala. This sanctuary is one of the 15 sanctuaries selected across India for Project Tiger, a scheme launched in 1973, by the World Wide Fund for Nature - India, to save the tiger and its habitat.Covered with a mix of deciduous forests, evergreen forests and scrub, and well - irrigated by the Moyar river, Bandipur has a fairly open forest area, making it easy for visitors to spot wildlife. This sanctuary sprawls over an area of 874 sq. kilometres. The prominent fauna of this reserve, include the Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild pig, black naped hare and the Indian porcupine.

Best season to visit:
It is warm for most part of the year in this area. During the months of October to March, the weather is cool and pleasant. The ideal time for viewing the wildlife, is during May and June, and again from September to November.

Animals & Birds Sighted:
Tiger, Elephant, Gaur, Leopard, Chital, Sambar, Sloth Bear, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Dog, Jackal, Mouse Deer, Four-Horned antelope, common Langur, Porcupine, Otter, Pangolin, Malabar Squirrel, Civet Cat, Leopard, Hare, Jungle Cat, Bonnet Macaque, Land monitor, Crocodile, Tortoise, Python, Cobra, Krait, Viper, Rat Snake, Flying lizard, Peafowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Partridge, Quail, Paradise Fly-Catcher, Hornbill, Woodpecker, Thrush, Crested Hawk Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Drongo, Cuckoo, Oriole, Minivet, Wagtail, Myna, Blue Jay, Kingfisher.

Location:
Nesting in the foothills of the Nilgiris, the Bandipur National Park was formed by extending the Venugopal Wildlife Park, set up in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajas. It is one of the tiger reserves in the country. A popular game resort of the erstwhile rulers of Mysore.

How to reach there:

Air: The nearest airport is Bangalore, at a distance of 215 Kms.

Rail: The nearest railhead is Mysore, which is 76 Kms, and connects most of the major junctions of Karnataka.

Road: Bandipur is accessible by Road, either from Mysore or from Ooty (Tamil Nadu). It is at a distance of 215 Kms from Bangalore, 76 Kms from Mysore and about 70 Kms from Ooty. The best way of reaching Bandipur is either by your own transport which is recommended or government buses as no private buses go to Bandipur.