Bandipur National Park is one of the main attractions of Bandipur. It is also an ideal place for nature lovers. Spread over an area of 800 sq. km, the park is rich vegetation with deep and dense forest. In 1931, the Maharaja of Mysore founded the park, which was then 90 sq. km. In 1941 the name of the park was the Venugopal Wildlife Park, based on the name of the main deity of the region. Bandipur National Park was the place where the Maharaja of Mysore practiced hunting. It was later in the year 1974 recognized as a reserve with the name project tiger and these deciduous forests that are full of wildlife have been one of the most sought after tourist destinations since then.
From all corners of the park, the tourists can enjoy the beautiful landscape as it is surrounded by Nagaur, Kabini and Moir Rivers. The Bandipur National Park is also a great place for photography and adventure lovers. There are a lot of adventure activities available inside the park. The park offers a natural habitat to many animals, such as tigers, four-horned deer, giant squirrels, elephants, hornbills, wild dogs, leopard, passive bears, and gears. Along with animals, there are also a few rare species of birds including migratory birds and resident birds.
The Bandipur National Park consists of a brown man owl, Rogers, grey forest bird, Drogo bay owl, weavers’ bird, Kingfisher, and many insects. The park is also home to some rare species of flora, such as teak, Amla, etc. There are other varieties of trees like sandalwood and rosewood are trees and plenty of bamboo wells.
Bandipur National Park is home to many endangered species making it the largest protected area of South India. There are several herds of elephants, often wandering in front of the tourists, but they are not at all liking for humans. Visitors are advised to stay away from elephants because sometimes they become violent and that could prove to be unsafe. The chital, the sambar, the barking deer are often seen everywhere. These are very aggressive and dangerous.
In Bandipur National Park, there is a good provision of safari vehicles, trained elephant and route directors, which make your journey unforgettable. Tourists can visit the garden from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. However, the vehicle movement is prohibited from 9 P.M. to 6 A.M. as there have been a lot of reports of wildlife casualties due to speeding vehicles in the night. This ban has been implemented to ensure the safety of the animal population. Regarding the Bandipur National Park stay, tourists can find resorts and lodges close to the park which offer reasonable packages that include activities inside the park which are otherwise unavailable for all visitors
Bandipur National Park Timings: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Bandipur National Park Entry Fees: INR 300 for Indian Nationals and INR 1100 for foreign nationals (entry and safari cost)
