Established
in 1955, the Nagarhole National park derived its name from the combination
of two Kannada words. 'Nagar,' meaning snake, and 'hole" meaning
streams. The area of the park was increased in 1975 to include the vast zone
of forest reserve. The original forest was once an exclusive hunting ground
for the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore. Nagarhole national park has been
recently renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister
of India.
Location of Nagarhole National Park :
Nagarhole National park is well linked to Karanataka and nearby cities. It
boost a good road network Motorable highways link the park to the towns of
Madikere (90 km) and Mysore (96 km). The journey from both places lasts
approximately 2 hours. The nearest well-connected railway junction is
Mysore, while the nearest international airport is Bangalore (220 km).
Various airlines connect Bangalore to the rest part of the country.
Wildlife at Nagarhole National Park :
Nagarhole national park houses animals like the four-horned antelope, sloth
bear, jungle cat, civet, spotted deer, elephant, wild dog, flying fox,
tiger, panther, gaur (Indian bison), sambhar, wild boar, black-naped hare,
bonnet macaque, and pangolin. Cobras, crocodiles, kraits, pythons, vipers,
and several species of lizards are also found here.
Chirpy Birds! :
There are about 250 bird species and the most important ones are the common
babbler, bee-eater, bulbul, dove, crested serpent, hornbill, Malabar pied,
alexandrine, peacock, woodpecker, warbler, great Indian reed, eagle, crested
hawk, golden-back parakeet, and the southern tree pie.
Best Seasons :
Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary is worth exploring during dry season, when
wild animals can be spotted in large numbers near sources of water
