Nagarhole National Park
Karnataka
Nagarahole National park is named after Nagarahole (Cobra river in the local language, Kannada), a winding river that runs eastwards through its center. Situated in the two districts of Mysore and Kodagu in the state of Karnataka.
It was originally constituted into a sanctuary in the year 1955 covering an area of 258 sq. km and subsequently enlarged to include the adjoining areas of Mysore district and now extends over an area of 643.39 sq. km which was given the status of a National Park in 1983.
Best Time to Go
November – May
Flights
Bangalore (BLR)
Avg. Climate
14°C – 35°C
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About Nagarhole national Park
Nagarahole National Park forms a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and together with Bandipur National Park (875 sq. km) and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (325 sq. km) to its southeast and Wayanad (350 sq. km) to the South-West, is one of the last remaining and best-protected habitats for endangered species like the Elephant and the Tiger. These Moist and Dry Deciduous forests are home to large mammals such as the Indian Elephant, Gaur, Royal Bengal Tiger & Indian Wild Dogs. More recently, people from all over the world flock here in the summer for photographing a rather bold male Melanistic or Black Leopard.
Geographical Details
Altitude: 600m to 900m above mean sea level
Vegetation: Dry deciduous and Moist deciduous
Water Resources: Kabini, Lakshmana Teertha and Nagarahole rivers, seasonal/perennial streams and tanks
Total Area: 642.39 sq km.
Coordinates: 12.0314° N to 76.1207° E
Rainfall: 1500 mm
Temperature: 14 – 31 degree Celsius
Ngarhole National Park Safari Tours
Nagarhole National Park is also an IBA – Important Bird Area and over 300 bird species are recorded here including some of the endemics of South India. Southern India is the land of endemics, with species found only in the area – celebrated are the Birds, Reptiles, and the Amphibians which are simply beautiful and rather unique.
Discoveries in the Insect and Amphibian varieties are occurring today and will continue to do so.
Being an important Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, Nagarahole National park is a must-visit national park for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers as the forest safari offers a very high probability of being able to spot Bengal Tigers and Asiatic Elephants in their natural habitat. Nagarahole National Park is also home to a large number of Wild Dogs, Leopards, and Bears. Commonly spotted herbivore animals are Wild Gaurs, Wild Boar, Sambar Deer, Antelope, Spotted Deers as well as several species of birds. Nagarahole National Park also has a rich collection of Teak Trees and Rosewood.
Popular Fauna at Nagarhole 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 Nagarhole National Park.
It has larger rosettes than the other subspecies, with a paler coat in desert habitats, greyer in colder climes and more ochre in rainforest habitats. They remain well-camouflaged at night but come down from trees to hunt during the day.
These four-pound tree dwellers, native to India, have an unusual method for storing their food. Instead of storing nuts and seeds in larders underground, Indian giant squirrels create caches of food high up in the treetops.
Safaris at Nagarhole National Park
Jeep Safaris
Nagarhole 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 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 National Park. This is conducted twice per day – in the morning & in the afternoon. The canter can accommodate around 15 – 20 people at once.
Boat Safaris
Boat or Canoe safaris on the Kabini river are also possible – there are quite a few migratory waders, plovers, raptors and storks which are seen. Elephants are seen in huge herds by the river with the other herbivores.
Accommodations at Nagarhole National Park
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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!
