Nagarhole National Park, situated in Karnataka and covers an area of 247 sq.miles/64330 hectares was established as a sanctuary in 1955 and became a national park in 1975 when its area was expanded for forest reserve. The park has astonishing abundance or wildlife including mammals like tiger, leopard, wild elephant , dhole (Indian wild dog), and gaur (Indian bison).
In addition to the above the other variety of animals which are found here are chital spotted deer, muntjac (barking deer), mouse deer, four-horned antelope, wild boar, sloth bear, hyena, mongoose, civet, otter, and more. The landscape of the place is of gentle slopes and shallow valleys. All the leafs from dry deciduous forest trees become leafless in the summer rather than in winter. The places where the soil is clayey, perennially moist there are grassy swamps. A unique wildlife viewing experience can be experienced in the park in refreshing and river system.
The name Nagarhole is derived from the two words in Kannada. 'Nagar' which means snake and 'hole' means streams. The name is very true as quiet a few serpentine streams fork through the rich tropical forest of the park. It was once an exclusive hunting ground for erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore. This park was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Park recently.
It is counted amongst India's best wildlife parks. The population of elephant and bison is very large here. There are also a variety of animals and approximately 250 type of birds. On the northern part is river Kabini River and on its south is Bandipur National Park. A dam on river Kabini to hold water and is a boundary between the two national parks. An artificial lake attracts large number of animals during the dry season which is february to June and it makes it a place of sighting wildlife.
The temperature in summer goes upto 33°C. The winter lasts from November to January when the temperature goes till 14°C. Monsoon is erratic here and generally rains from June to September.
The most common vegetation in the Nagarhole National Park is of southern tropical, moist, mixed deciduous type in addition to dry deciduous in eastern portion. In the upper tree canopy is dominated by terminalia tomentosa along with Tectonia grandis, Dalbergia latifolia, Pterocarpus marsupium, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Anogeissus latifolia, Adina cordifolia, Boambax malabaricum, Schleichera trijuga, Ficus sp. and others. The lower canopy has Kydia calycina, Emblica officinalis, Gmelina arborea etc. Several shrubs belonging to Solanum, Desmodium and Helicteres sp. etc. are abundantly found but weedy shrubs like Eupatorium and Lantana now dominate.
The important carnivora in the park are tiger, leopard, wild dog, sloth bear and the hyena. The herbivores like spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, four-horned antelope, gaur, wild boar and elephant. Nagarhole National Park also has some southern population of Gaur (jungle Bison). In Karnataka, it is a very good place to see elephants in forests and bamboo and is a place one can enjoy. The total population of elepants in southern India is about 6500 and they all live in the shadows formed in Western ghats by adjoining Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
