This stretches
along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border and lies on the Mysore-Ooty highway.
It has an excellent internal network of roads through its hilly,
forested landscape, and the many water holes and salt licks, provide
wonderful opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Not
the easiest place to spot the big cat, it is one of the larges habitats
in south India for the elephant which may be encountered regularly.
There are good chances of spotting wild dog, gaur, spotted deer, sambar,
barking deer, chausingha, bonnet macaques and the giant squirrel. The
elephant rides are a wonderful way to get a feel of the jungle and view
the birdlife.
Bandipur National Park was expanded later in 1941
to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which lay towards its northern
edge, and Wayanad 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
ClimateThe 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.
