JOIN USLand of many different varieties of wild animals, beautiful flowers and warbling birds, the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka needs no introduction. Situated in the lap of the Nilgiri Hills, this wildlife sanctuary is one of the most thrilling locales with dense forests, creepers, shrubs, deep blue valleys and attractive wildlife.
During a recent safari, we were able to see some of the common mammals like monkeys, langur, wild buffalo and wild dogs. The leopards, jungle cat, common mongoose and striped-neck mongoose constitute the main carnivores here. Along with colourful flora, we also saw many species of perching, high-flying, nocturnal, pretty birds.
However, it is quite difficult to locate leopards in these forests. We were fortunate to spot a tiger in the core forest area, and it was a small spike in the graph of our jungle experience.
On the second day, we were able to locate multitudes of reptiles and amphibians.
Crocodiles, snakes and big lizards represent the reptiles while jackal and hyena constitute the scavenging contingent. The jungle yielded wonderful sights of herbivores such as gaur, wild boar, beer, sloth, giant squirrel and flying squirrel. Deers were also spotted in abundance.
The best time to visit the Bandipur National Park is between mid-November and mid-June. During this period, nature is epitomised with the beauty of pulsating dense forests.