Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National park
Bandipur National park
Bandipur National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
	Bengal tiger in Bandipur National Park
Location	Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India
Nearest city	Chamarajanagar 50 km, Mysore 80 kilometers (50 mi)
Coordinates	11°39′42″N 76°37′38″E / 11.66167°N 76.62722°E
Area	912.04 km2 (352.14 sq mi)
Established	1974
Governing body	Ministry of Environment and Forests, Karnataka Forest Department
	bandipurtigerreserve.in

Bandipur National Park is a national park covering 868.63 km² (335.38 sq mi) in Chamarajnagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973.^[1] It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986.^[2]

History

The Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore created a sanctuary of 90 km² (35 sq mi) in 1931 and named it the Venugopala Wildlife Park. The Bandipur Tiger Reserve was established under Project Tiger in 1973 by adding nearly 800 km² (310 sq mi) to the Venugopala Wildlife park.^[3]

Geography

At the Moyar gorge with Nilgiris in the background

Bandipur National Park is located between 75° 12’ 17" E to 76° 51’ 32" E and 11° 35’ 34" N to 11° 57’ 02" N where the Deccan Plateau meets the Western Ghats, and the altitude of the park ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) to 1,454 m (4,770 ft). As a result, the park has a variety of biomes including dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests and shrublands. The wide range of habitats help support a diverse range of organisms. The park is flanked by the Kabini river in the north and the Moyar in the south. The Nugu river runs through the park. The highest point in the park is on a hill called Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, where there is a Hindu temple at the summit. Bandipur has typical tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry and hot period usually begins in early March and can last till the arrival of the monsoon rains in June.

Flora

Bandipur supports a wide range of timber trees including: teak (Tectona grandis), rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), sandalwood (Santalum album V), Indian-laurel (Terminalia tomentosa), Indian kino tree (Pterocarpus marsupium), giant clumping bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus), clumping bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) and Grewia tiliaefolia.

There are also several notable flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs including: kadam tree (Adina cordifolia), Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), crape-myrtle (Lagerstroemia lanceolata), axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia), black myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), Schleichera trijuga, Odina wodiar, flame of the forest (Butea monosperma), golden shower tree (Cassia fistula), satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia), black cutch (Acacia catechu), Shorea talura (E), indigoberry (Randia uliginosa).

Fauna

Mammals

Bandipur National Park harbours the Asian elephant, gaur, Bengal tiger, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, golden jackal and dhole. The commonly seen mammals along the public access roads in the park include chital, gray langur, Indian giant squirrel and Indian elephant. A list of medium to large-sized mammals in the park is given in the following census table published in 1997:

species	1991	1993	1995	1997
Bengal tiger	58	66	74	75
Indian Leopard	51	81	86	88
Indian elephant	1107	2214	2214	3471
Gaur	1097	1373	1373	2427
Dhole	148	181	181	N/A
Spotted deer	3333	5858	5858	8204
Sambar deer	706	1196	1196	2386
Sloth bear	51	66	66	N/A
Four-horned antelope	14	N/A	N/A	N/A
Gray langur	1468	1751	1751	1851
Wild boar	148	181	181	N/A
Indian Muntjac	72	131	131	N/A

Ant species include Anenictus sp1, Anoplolepis longipes, Camponotus parius, Crematogaster biroi, Crematogaster sp 1*, Crematogaster sp 2*, Diacamma rugosum, Lepisiota capensis, Leptogenys chinesis, Leptogenys coonorensis, Leptogenys diminuta, Lophomyrmex quadripinosus, Meranoplus bicolor, Monomorium indicum, Myrmicaria striata, Myrmicaria brunnea, Oligomyrmex wroughtonii, Pachycondyla sp1*, Paratrechina sp1*, Pheidole sharpi, Pheidole sp1*, Pheidole sp2*, Pheidologeton diverus, Polyrhachis exercita, Solenopsis geminate, Tetraponera rufonigra, Tetraponera sp1*

Dung beetles include Catharsius granulatus*, Copris indicus*, Oniticellus cinctus*, Onitis singhalensis*, Onthophagus beesoni*, Onthophagus ensifer*, Onthophagus rana*, Onthophagus sp.107*#, Onthophagus tarandus*, Picnopanaleus rotundus, Caccobius diminutives, Caccobius ultor, Copris furciceps, Copris sp.1#, Heliocopris dominus, Pseudonthophagus sp.2#, Sisyphus neglectus, Caccobius inermis, Caccobius meridionalis, Caccobius torticornis, Caccobius sp.1#, Copris sodalist, Onthophagus socialis, Onthophagus sp.301#, Onitis phelemon, Onthophagus furcillifer, Caccobius gallinus, Onthophagus rufulgens, Onthophagus sp.302#, Copris repertus, Pseudonthophagus sp.1#, Copris davisoni, Onitis falcatus, Onthophagus turbatus, Copris imitans, Onthophagus quadridentatus, Caccobius vulcanus, Liatongus affinis, Oniticellus spinipes, Sisyphus longipus, Onthophagus dama.

Conflicts and threats

The National Highways NH-181 and NH-766 pass through Bandipur national park. This road has been a major concern as speeding vehicles have killed many wild animals in spite of frequent warnings to travelers from the forest department officials and restriction on movement of vehicles in some stretches between 6 P.M to 6 A.M.^[4] This has raised fears of extinction of habitat of wild animals exclusively found in this national park.

On October 9, 2018 the National Park lost one of its prized possession, a tusker named 'Rowdy Ranga' was hit by a bus in the night^[5] after which the government of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka agreed to ban night traffic in the forest.^[6] However, Kerala condemns the 'Night Ban' and has asked for the ban to be lifted to save a reroute that increases the distance by 45 km.