Bandipur National Park
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The Bandipur National Park is one of India's best known sanctuaries, and is an important Project Tiger reserve. It is located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka in south India, and is contiguous with the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and the Nagarhole National Park to the northwest. It is home to around seventy tigers and over three thousand Asian elephants (as per the 1997 census [1] (http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/projecttiger/index.php)), along with leopards, dholes, gaur and sloth bears. Bandipur is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
History
A sanctuary of 90 sq. km. was created at this site in the Bandipur Reserve Forest in 1931. As it was realised that this was too small for effective wildlife conservation, leading to the instituting of the Venugopala Wildlife Park at this site, extending over 800 sq. km. The Bandipur Tiger Reserve was constituted in 1973 by carving out 880 sq. km. from the Wildlife Park.
Tourist Information
Bandipur is about 220 km from Bangalore and only 80 km from Mysore. Gundelpet is the closest town.
There are three cottage resorts at the boundary of the park. One is inside the park and is run by the Forest Department, another is a Karnataka Tourism Department hotel at the boundary of the park, and the third is privately managed. It is advisable to make weekend reservations beforehand. Gundelpet is about 20 km from the park and has more hotels and inns.
Bandipur forest office runs forest safaris of 45 minutes duration in well guarded buses which start each morning. Deer, antelope, elephants and peacocks can be easily seen. Tigers and elephants may be occasionally sighted.
If you have a good group you can do a trek through the forest with help of the forest department. The forest office located in Bandipur can provide you with trained professionals who can guide you through the forest.
Gopalaswamy Betta
Gopalaswamy Betta is close by to the national park. The trek to the Gopalaswamy Betta (betta is for hill in kannada) located inside the forest is quite popular. There is also a motorable road to the summit of the hill.