Spanning across 875 sq km in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Bandipur National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, bordered with Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Once used as a hunting ground by the then rulers of Mysore, it was designated as a reserve forest in 1931 and upgraded as a tiger reserve in 1973. It was one Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, who was a keen wildlife enthusiast, worked harder to protect the forests. The Eastern region comprises major forest areas and scrub jungles. The trees here are mostly dry deciduous trees and moist deciduous trees. This portion is the best way to spot birds and carnivorous animals.
The central region has the Nugu River and the highest summit in the park. People trek to the peak to get a panoramic view of the park. There is a Hindu temple in the summit. Elephants are common near the hill due to the presence of many ponds. The famous Kabini river is located in the Northwest portion of the park, which acts as the major source of water for the animals and plants. The common flora of the region includes teak, rosewood, golden shower tree, black myrobalan, flame of the forest, Indian gooseberry, sandalwood, Indian kino tree, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo and giant clumping bamboo axle wood, black cutch, indigo berry, Tamarind, mango and so on.
Tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar (deer), chital, sloth bear, Indian palm, giant flying squirrel, striped hyena, rusty-spotted cat, mouse deer, wild dog, four horned antelope, hyena, panther etc are the animals common here. For the bird watchers, the park offers peafowl, junglefowl, drongos, red headed vultures, flowerpeckers, Indian rollers, crested serpent eagles, bee-eaters, hawk eagles, kingfishers, brown hawk owl, bay owl, Malabar trogon etc. The dry months (February to June) are the best time to spot the wildlife here. The rainy season, between July and October, is best avoided, since much of the terrain is slushy. The forest department provides many types of safari experience. Its location, exactly on the main road connectivity between Ooty and Mysore, the park is easily accessible.