Bandipur National Park
Karnataka
Bandipur National Park, established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in the Indian state of Karnataka, which is the state with the second-highest tiger population in India. These forests are contiguous with Nagarhole, Wayanad, and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, hence providing safe haven for a number of species – notably the Indian Elephant and Royal Bengal Tiger.
Once a private Hunting Reserve for the Maharajas of Mysore, this landscape is now part of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve – one of India’s conservation success stories.
Bandipur has a variety of biomes including dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests, and shrublands. The wide range of habitats helps support a diverse range of organisms. The park is flanked by the Kabini River in the north and the Moyar River in the south..
Best Time to Go
October – April
Flights
Avg. Climate
11°C – 30°C
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About Bandipur national Park
The open-ness of the Bandipur park provides for huge Elephant herds and one of the last strongholds of the Indian Wild Dogs – the extremely intelligent pack hunters of the Indian Forest. The Kabini River separates Bandipur from Nagarhole, yet the denizens are able to traverse freely between the 2 parks when the water levels recede.
The elusive Black (melanistic) Leopard has been spotted in Bandipur national park on more than one occasion, and it is believed that there are multiple individuals living inside the park. Therefore, it is safe to say that a tiger safari in India is incomplete without experiencing all that Bandipur National Park has to offer.
Geographical Details
Altitude: 680m to 1454m above mean sea level
Vegetation: Dry deciduous
Water Resources: Kabini (north), Moyar (south), Nugu (through the park)
Core Area: 872.24 sq km
Buffer Area: 118.279 sq.km
Coordinates: 110 35’ 34” to 110 760 12’ 17” and 760 51’ 32”
Rainfall: 2439 mm
Temperature: Min: 11 C ; Max: 30 C
Bandipur Tiger Reserve Tours
Popular Fauna at Bandipur National Park
His majesty, the national animal of India. The Royal Bengal Tiger is considered by many naturalists as one of the most powerful apex predators. You catch a glimpse of this big cat in action at the Bandipur National Park.
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (Panthera pardus) and the jaguar (Panthera onca). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present.
It is the largest land mammal on the Asian continent. They inhabit dry to wet forest and grassland habitats in 13 range countries spanning Southeast Asia. Asian elephants have adapted to surviving on resources that vary based on the area.
Safaris at Bandipur National Park
Jeep Safaris
Bandipur National Park conducts jeep safaris. A half day jeep safaris can be further categorized as a morning safari and an evening safari. The morning safaris start around 0600 hours depending on the sunrise time and lasts for about 3-3.5 hours. After the morning safari, the guest heads back to the lodge/resort. You can freshen up, eat a quick lunch, relax for a bit and later head back in to the jungle for your evening safari. The evening safari in Bandipur lasts for about 3 – 3.5 hours depending on the time of sunset. Post your evening safari, you head back to the lodge for dinner and take the rest of the evening at leisure.
Canter Safaris
The main type of safari here is Canter(minibus) safari inside the Bandipur National Park. This is conducted twice per day – in the morning & in the afternoon. The canter can accommodate around 15 – 20 people at once.
Accommodations at Bandipur
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Guest Testimonials
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We just finished the first half of two tiger safari tours in India. The first was on the Banhavgar National Park. Our guide was Sanjay Gupta, who had 25 years of experience in the park and with the tigers. He was wonderful, sharing his experience and knowledge throughout our three full days together. He was definitely a highlight of our trip, as a great guide makes for a great experience, whether you see tigers or not! And we did see tigers...
Nature Safari India organized our private 2 Weeks Safari in Central India plus a couple of Sightseeing and we are very happy to having choose this agency. I found them on the responsible tiger tourism association (TOFTigers) and I liked them from the very first contact. From the first email more than two years ago to the end of our trip in April 2022, the service was great, the selection of the itinerary, Parks, lodges and guides was perfect...
Deepkul and the Tiger Safari India team put together an incredible experience for us in Kanha and Bandhavgarh. All the details were taken care of as per our preferences and budget including transportation, food, lodging, and our amazing safari guides. Deepkul was easy to communicate with and always quick to respond to any questions before and during our trip. Highly recommend!
