Karnataka Wildlife Safari Tours

With its ethereal natural beauty and rich wildlife, Karnataka is home to several national parks and sanctuaries. Experience the wilderness of this majestic state and enjoy an intimacy with nature by availing some of the best Karnataka wildlife safari tour packages.

About Indian Wildlife

India, with its endless variety of flora and fauna, is one of the richest country in terms of the wildlife and nature. Covering a major part of the Indian subcontinent, India with its vast stretch of both land and water is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Out of 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world, Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats and Indo-Burma, are in this country. The diverse wildlife of this country consists Indian lions, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, wolves, deer, bears, foxes, pythons, camels, crocodiles, monkeys, antelopes and bisons.

Conservation

Wildlife conservation is one of the most concerning issues across the globe. A serious decrease in the number of wildlife species will pose potential threats to the ecological balance. Thus, the government is trying its level best to preserve this wonder of nature. Some of the important measures taken in an endeavour to protect the wild animals and their habitat are as under.

• Project Tiger: Launched in 1973, this project aims to protect our national animal – Tiger. It increased the number of tiger reserves from nine to 47. This initiative is taken in the direction of anti-poaching and tiger protection. Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks in Karnataka are also brought under this project.

• Project Elephant: This project was launched in 1992 with an aim to provide technical, scientific and financial assistance to states, which have a high density of elephants. The project aims to save these animals and their habitat, and to address human-animal conflict issues. Bandipur National Park was the venue for the first meeting on this project.

Locations for Wildlife Safari in Karnataka

A Karnataka wildlife safari tour offers you a chance to explore some of the best national parks in the state.

• Bandipur: Located at the juncture of Western and Eastern Ghats, Bandipur is a famous national park in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. This area, along with the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and Nagarahole and Mudumalai national parks, forms a major portion of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Safaris in jeeps, mini-buses and also on elephants are arranged here to let visitors have a close look into the wild. One of the best known national parks in India, and also an important tiger reserve, Bandipur is a must-see place during your Karnataka wildlife safari tour.

• Bannerghatta: Located at a distance of about 25 km from Bangalore, Bannerghatta National Park was conceived to promote wildlife tourism along with conservation. It is one of the few conservation centres where wildlife is preserved so close to a metropolitan city. Established in 1971, this park conducts various educational programs in order to promote the support of masses in conservation efforts. It comprises various units like zoo, safari, museum, rescue centre, auditorium and butterfly park.

• Nagarahole: Also referred to as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarahole is one of the most important reserves as it has an abundance of wildlife. Once a hunting ground of Wodeyar dynasty, this region was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and later in 1998, it was converted into a national park. Later again in 1999, the park was brought under Project Tiger. Situated at foothills of the Western Ghats, this park boasts a dense forest cover, numerous hills, valleys, streams and waterfalls.

Flora and Fauna

Bandipur: The region supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.

• Flora: Several notable species of trees are spotted here. Some of them are clumping bamboo, golden shower tree, satin wood and teak.

• Fauna: Tiger, sambar, Indian elephant, gaur and grey langur are some of the wild species sighted here. A variety of beautiful species of butterfly like crimson rose, lime butterfly and red helen can also be seen here.

Bannerghatta: Covering a vast tract of land, Bannerghatta is rich in  both flora and fauna.

• Flora: Tamarind, eucalyptus, sandalwood, neem, bamboo, terminalia tomentosa and santalum are some of the main flora species found here.

• Fauna: Elephant, bison, leopard, barking deer and sloth bear are some of the mammals while the birdlife includes quails, partridges, parakeets, cuckoos and peckers. Several reptiles are also spotted here, including python, cobra, viper and land monitor.