Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park is a national park in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, India, covering 868.63 km2 (335.38 sq mi). In 1973, it was designated as a tiger reserve as part of Project Tiger. Since 1986, it has been a component of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In 1931, the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore established the Venugopala Wildlife Park, a 90-square-kilometre (35-square-mile) sanctuary. In 1973, Project Tiger added roughly 800 km2 (310 sq mi) to the Venugopala Wildlife Park, creating the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

About Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park is situated at the intersection of the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats. The park has an elevation range of 680 metres (2,230 feet) to 1,454 metres (4,770 ft). Because of such elevations, the park has a diverse range of biomes, such as dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests, and shrublands. A vast range of environments aids the survival of a diverse range of creatures.

Bandipur National Park is considered to be one of India’s most beautiful and well-managed national parks. It is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which includes Karnataka’s Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) to the northwest, Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary to the south, and Kerala’s Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to the southwest. It is located in the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on the Mysore-Ooty highway in Karnataka. Bandipur National Park has an area of 872.24 square kilometres. It is split between the Chamarajanagar District’s Gundlupet taluk and the Mysuru District’s H.D. Kote and Nanjangud taluks.

Location

The park is bordered on the north by the Kabini River and on the south by the Moyar River. The park is bisected by the Nugu River. The park’s highest point is a hill named Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, which has a Hindu temple at the top. The climate of Bandipur is tropical, with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry and hot season normally starts in early March and lasts until the monsoon rains arrive in June.

The Tiger Reserve is distributed in two revenue districts in Southern Karnataka, namely Mysore (Nanjangud & H.D. Kote Taluks) and Chamarajanagar (Nanjangud & H.D. Kote Taluks) (Gundlupet Taluk). It is a unique landmass located in the tri-junction of the Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Mudumalai, Nagarahole Tiger Reserves, and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are all part of the Western Ghats Tiger Landscape. The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve connects the Tiger Reserve’s south-eastern section to the adjacent Tiger landscapes of BRT Tiger Reserve, M.M. Hills, and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

Significance

Bandipur National Park has India’s second-largest tiger population. The Bandipur National Park lies in the Chamarajanagar district’s Gundulpet taluk. The park is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, making it the biggest protected region in Southern India and the home to the world’s largest population of wild elephants. In order to reduce the fatality rate of animals, driving is prohibited from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from dark to dawn.

Tiger Population Over the Years

This National Park was constructed by incorporating major forest areas of the erstwhile Venugopala Wildlife Park, established through Govt. Notification dated February 19, 1941, and was extended in 1985 to cover an area of 874.20 square kilometres and called Bandipur National Park. In 1973, this reserve became part of Project Tiger. Following that, some surrounding reserve forest lands were added to the reserve, bringing the total size to 880.02 square kilometres. Bandipur Tiger Reserve now controls 912.04 square kilometres. During 2007-08, this division received 39.80 square kilometres of KFDC plantation land. The Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was handed over to the Wildlife Division of Mysore in 2010-11.

The Bandipur-Nagarahole, Wayanad-Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam Tiger Landscape spans Karnataka (Bandipur-Nagarahole), Tamil Nadu (Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam), and Kerala (Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam) (Wayanad). It provides a great example of how to manage inter-state Tiger Reserves for long-term tiger population conservation. Camera trapping along the Segur plateau-Moyar Gorge-Sathyamangalam region of Tamil Nadu in 2010-11 revealed evidence of a resident Tiger population as well as possible movement of individuals between this region and the BRT Tiger Reserve, and then on to the M.M. Hills and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries. When compared to the 2006 All India Tiger Estimation Exercise, this landscape exhibited an overall rise in Tiger occupancy in 2010.

Flora and Fauna at the Bandipur National Park

Bandipur, located at the slopes of the Nilgiris and once the exclusive hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas, has a long history with tigers. It is one of the remaining refuges for the endangered Asiatic wild elephant and is one of the thirty reserves established across the country to safeguard the tiger and its habitat.

Apart from the two famous inhabitants, this national park is home to a number of endangered animals such as sloth bears and four-horned antelopes. Sambar, mouse deer, chital, sloth bear, and the uncommon flying lizard may all be found in Bandipur. Its appeal is enhanced by the presence of over 200 bird species and diverse vegetation. Teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian-laurel, and Indian Kino trees are among the timber species found in Bandipur.

Conclusion

Bandipur National Park aids in the conservation of various endangered species of India’s biodiversity, as well as providing a safe haven for other threatened and fragile flora and animals. Bandipur National Park is a national park in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, India, covering 868.63 km2 (335.38 sq mi). The Kadam tree, Indian gooseberry, crape-myrtle, axlewood, and black myrobalan are among the famous blooming and fruiting plants and shrubs found in the park. Chital, grey langurs, Indian giant squirrels, and elephants are among the species regularly observed along the park’s public access routes. Tourists should visit this place in the monsoon season to witness the lush green terrains in their utmost beauty.