Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Into the Wilderness of Bandipur National Park

The Bandipur National Park in the Karnataka state of India is a home to many endangered species of wild animals. It was established in 1974 as a national park by the government of India. This park covers an area of about 874 square km and is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The dry deciduous forests of Bandipur are listed as a protected area under the Project Tiger. Here are some interesting facts about the wilderness of Bandipur National Park.

1. Bandipur National Park is located in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka and was declared a national park under Project Tiger in 1974.

2. It lies at the point where the Western Ghats merges with the Nilgiri Hills and is dominated by dry deciduous forest.

Bandipur-National-Park

3. Bandipur National Park along with neighboring Nagarhole National Park, Mudumalai National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary forms the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected area for wildlife in southern India.

4. Before gaining the status of a national park, the forests of Bandipur served as the hunting ground for the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore.

Bandipur-National-Park-Riverside

5. The Kabini River flows on the northern side and the Moyar River on the southern side of the park. Another river, Nugu, flows through the park and thus, providing plenty of water supply.

6. The main wildlife attractions of the park are the Royal Bengal Tigers, Asian Elephants and the Chittals. The best time to visit Bandipur National Park is between April and October.

Wildlife-in-Bandipur-National-Park

7. Over 200 species of birds can be found in Bandipur National Park. This makes it quite famous for observing birds among bird-watchers and wildlife photographers.

8. It is a major wildlife weekend getaway destination from Ooty and Mysore, the two major tourist destinations in southern India.

9. Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta is the highest peak located inside the core area of the park and is a great place to spot elephants. There is a temple on the hilltop, which is a famous tourist attraction.

Himavad-Gopalaswamy-Temple-Bandipur-National-Park

10. Traffic moment is banned from night to early morning for the safety of the nocturnal animals inside the park.

5 comments:

  1. Fantastic shots of an amazing place.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome! In India, I've only visited Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been through Bandipur on several occasions when going to Ooty. But never stopped to have a look around. High time I play a trip here. Didn't know there were big cats in Bandipur.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish to visit Gopalaswamy Betta sometime.

    ReplyDelete