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> Bandipur |
Bandipur |
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Insider Tips |
• A trip to Bandipur can be combined
with a visit to Nagarahole, Wynaad or Mudumalai Wildlife sanctuaries,
which are close-by. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary near Mysore
city is another option. You would require two or three days
to get the best out of even one of these places.
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Bandipur is best visited in the winter, but if you are willing
to brave some discomfort, you will find the monsoon, between
June and September, particularly rewarding. The roads are not
as bad as those at Nagarahole, where water logging is common.
• By and large, avoid visiting Bandipur over the weekends,
when noisy crowds run amok.
• Photographers are advised
to carry at least a 200 mm telephoto lens. Low light levels
in the canopy require a large aperture setting. Fast film (200-400
ASA) will offer additional advantages. The monsoon period incidentally
is best for close-up photography of insects and frogs.
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Survival Guide |
• Reach the park before dusk.
• Along the highway, elephants have right of way.
• Elephants have been known to block traffic for hours
on end, give yourself a couple of extra hours.
• There
is a provision store in the park. The nearest banks, hospitals,
petrol pumps, garages and markets are at Gundulpet, the nearest
town, 20 km away.
• STD and ISD facilities are not
available at Bandipur. But private telephone facilities that
charge government rates are available 30 km from Bandipur.
• Private vehicles are not allowed within the park.
• Do not ever approach elephants on foot!
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History / Geography |
| The 865 sq km area that comprises the Bandipur
Reserve was once the Mysore Maharaja's private hunting ground.
After the Mysore Game and Forest Preservation Regulation Act
of 1931, 90 sq km was designated as a game sanctuary. In 1941,
it became part of the 'Venugopal Wildlife Park', a larger national
park, with an area of 800 sq km that also encompassed some areas
of Mudumalai, Nagarahole and Wynaad. The park was notified under
the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. In 1973, the heart of Venugopal
National Park that constituted Bandipur was recognised as Bandipur
National Park and it became one of the 15 sanctuaries brought
under the umbrella of Project Tiger. |
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Conservation Notes |
The deciduous forests and a dry summer increases
the hazard of forest fires. Man-made forest fires, often at
the hands of careless tourists, take a heavy toll on these forests.Beating
out the fire using brush wood and assigning fire watchers to
watch towers for early identification are some of the preventive
measures taken. The existing fire lines are cleared and maintained.Ivory
poaching is a major problem. Teak, rosewood and other expensive
timber is smuggled out for sale to far away markets. Overgrazing
of cattle has severely compromised the vegetation along the
park's borders.Artificial cultivation like tobacco farms near
the northern part of the reserve is another problem. Insensitive
tourists are noisy and alarm the animals. They think nothing
of littering the park with plastic and foil, which often blocks
the intestines of unsuspecting ungulates and leads to painful
deaths. Many new tourist facilities, or private bungalows have
been callously proposed along elephant migratory corridors.In
recent times, Veerappan, the brigand who has sought refuge in
these tracts of forest, is a threat to forest officials who
fear kidnappings and even death if they bring him to book. As
a result, the protection programme of the park suffers. He is
responsible for extensive sandalwood and ivory poaching.
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Suggested Reading |
| • Sanctuary Asia Vol. II No.3, July-Sep.1982.
Bandipur by A J T Johnsingh. |
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