Located in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Bandipur National Park is one of India’s richest bio-diverse regions. This park is flanked by the Kabini River in the North, the Moyar River in the south, and the River Nugu runs through the park. These allow for an environment that allows the region to grow diverse flora and fauna. You’ll find many tigers in the park and other wildlife species, making it a perfect setting for a wildlife safari! Besides, you can find a range of popular attractions in and around Bandipur National Park. These locations include Biligirirangan Hills, Chamarajeshwara Temple, Kanakagiri Kshetra, Gopalaswamy Betta, and Gaurishwara Temple. It is part of India’s largest biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri, making it a worthy site to visit.
Dedicated to Conservation Bandipur National Park
The story of Bandipur National Park has been the story of conservation with increasing efforts to protect the rich flora and fauna. The forest area of Venugopala Wildlife Park was then renamed Bandipur National Park in 1985, bringing more area under it. Presently, with an area of 912.04 square kilometers, the region has been under Project Tiger since 1973. Since then, over the years, the park has been implementing several measures time and again to protect its wildlife. These measures include anti-poaching patrols, community-based conservation campaigns, habitat management, etc. Thus, the park has successfully protected several endangered species and preserved the natural habitat. Moreover, the park authorities get strongly involved in working with local tribals living in close proximity to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Also, there have been greater efforts in recent times to improve the sustainable tourism quotient in the region.
All these cumulative efforts have resulted in a terrific increase in the number of tourists visiting the park in recent years. Also, the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, along with Mudumalai, Nagarahole, Wayanad, and Sathyamangalam, together have an estimated tiger population of about 382, making it the world’s single largest wild tiger population.
Other interesting facts concerning Bandipur National Park are as follows:
1. A Birdwatcher’s Paradise
Not popularly known, Bandipur National Park is also a paradise for bird lovers, where you can find over 200 bird species flocking in the region. You can always find bird lovers holding their binoculars and exploring the place on a regular basis. Commonly spotted birds include the Malabar pied hornbill, the Indian roller, the jungle fowl, and the crested serpent eagle. You can also find several rare and endangered bird species as well.
2. Region of Elephants
It is estimated that over 2,500 elephants live in the park! This makes it one of the world’s largest populations of Asiatic elephants. Because of the open spaces in the park, Bandipur makes for a convenient setting for spotting Asiatic elephants in its natural surroundings. Because of such a high numerical strength, they can be spotted at any time of the year. However, the best time would be monsoons (June to September) when you can see elephants in large herds.
3. An Eco-Tourism Hub
This is not a surprise that Bandipur National Park is a major eco-tourism hub and has been at the forefront of eco-tourism for the last three decades. The eco-tourism activity in the park is operated in two major ranges – Bandipur (54 square kilometers) and GS Betta (28 square kilometers). Also, the reserve sees eco-tourism activities throughout the year for education and entertainment purposes. Due to the company’s dedicated efforts to eco-tourism, many tourists have been flocking to the site year after year. Bandipur National Park is also strongly committed to sustainable tourism (a major aspect of eco-tourism). The park uses several sustainable tourism practices like using eco-friendly vehicles for safaris and promoting responsible tourism. The park officials have been working closely with local communities to ensure the conservation of the natural resources available on the park premises.
4. Popular Research Centre
Again, it is obvious that with such rich and diverse flora and fauna, Bandipur National Park is a popular destination for researchers and scientists. Over the years, several research centers and institutes conducting studies have been set up in the park. This is why the place is a major attraction for bio-enthusiasts from all over the world. In fact, the research that has been conducted here has led to the growth in knowledge. This has further led to the conservation and management of this park and other parks in India.
5. A Unique Ecosystem
Bandipur National Park is majorly located in the Western Ghats, one of the world’s eight “hottest biodiversity hotspots.” Also, for some parts of the park, you can see the confluence of the Eastern Ghats, which makes for a distinctive area all the more, particularly in terms of flora and fauna. To illustrate this further, in the eastern limits of the park, you can see a scrub jungle that consists of stunted trees interspersed with bushes and open grassy patches. North-western parts of the park are all about tropical mixed deciduous forests. This diversity in habitat has led to enormous diversity in terms of flora and fauna. Moreover, during the summer months, when most of the park is dry and barren, you can see the backwaters of Kabini Reservoir being a hub of large mammals like elephants and gaurs. Clearly, the uniqueness of this region cannot be denied.
6. Best-Managed National Parks
Having read the various conservation efforts that time and again have been successfully exercised in Bandipur, it is not without a doubt that the park has got to have really good management. In fact, the park has received many accolades in terms of being the Best Managed National Park in India. The park was completed 50 years ago and has come a long way regarding wildlife conservation.
Thus, Bandipur is not only one of the best national parks but also provides so many exciting and interesting opportunities for the exploration of tourists. Having got a glimpse of what awaits you on your tour to Bandipur, you must be excited on your toes to visit the same! So, what are you waiting for? Do contact Indian Visit for the best wildlife tour packages to Bandipur National Park. You get the best stay options, transfers, meal options, and so much more – all of which are fully customizable. Enquire now!