11 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks near Mysore (2024)

Wildlife

Bandipur National Park is one of the well preserved wildlife parks in Karnataka, and among the top places for a wildlife tour in India. Located between Mysore & Ooty, it is about 80 km from Mysore and 215 km from Bangalore.

Spread across 874 sq.km, Bandipur is a part of the famous Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Nagarhole National Park, Mudumalai National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. It is home to around 70 tigers and over 3000 Asian elephants, as well as other animals like leopards, dhole, gaur, sloth bears, and a variety of birdlife.

Jeep Safaris and Mini Bus Safaris are arranged by the forest department. The entry point & interpretation center of the park is located in Bandipur village on Gundlupet - Ooty Road. The best time to visit Bandipur is from June to October. Staying at Bandipur Safari Lodge is the best way to explore the park as their package includes Jeep Safari into the park with experienced guides. Bandipur can also be visited along with Ooty tour packages as it lies on Bangalore - Ooty road.

Distance from Mysore: 80 Kms

Wildlife

Nagarhole National Park is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India. Also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, the park is situated about 218 km from Bangalore, and is among the must include places in Karnataka Tour Packages.

Spread across Mysore and Kodagu districts of Karnataka, Nagarhole got National Park status in 1988 and declared as 37th Project Tiger Reserve in 1999. The Western Ghats Nilgiri sub-cluster of 6,000 Sq. km, including all of Nagarhole National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Coorg tour packages. It is situated to the north-west of Bandipur National Park.

The important animals in Nagarhole are tiger, leopard, wild dog, sloth bear, the hyena, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, wild boar and elephant. Bus & Jeep Safari available in the park run by forest dept from Kutta & Dhammanakatte (kabini side). Staying at Kabini River Lodge is the best way to explore the park as their package includes Jeep Safari with experienced guides.

Distance from Mysore: 88 Kms

Wildlife | Lake & Backwater

About Dubare Elephant Camp


At a distance of 15 km from Kushalnagar, and 29 km from Madikeri, Dubare Elephant Camp is an elephant training center situated on the banks of the river Cauvery in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. It is one of the most famous places to visit in Coorg, and also one of the top attractions you must include in Coorg packages.

Dubare is a natural island formed by Cauvery River. It is an important base for the Karnataka Forest Department's elephants and among the must include places in India wildlife tour packages.

History of Dubare Elephant Camp


Dubare Elephant Camp is a project undertaken by the forest department and jungle lodges & resorts. This camp has plenty of elephants which are trained under naturalists. The elephants used for Mysore Dussehra are trained at this camp. The trainers explain the various aspects of elephant history, ecology, and biology. Visitors can also participate in various activities involving elephants like feeding the elephants with ragi, jaggery, sugarcane, banana, and coconuts. Tourists can also watch elephants being given a scrub-bath in the river and also watch how oil is applied on their forehead, tusks, etc.

Things to do at Dubare Elephant Camp


Elephant interaction like Elephant bathing, ...

Distance from Mysore: 102 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 3 km from Srirangapatna, and 16 km from Mysore, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is a small sanctuary situated in Srirangapatna, Karnataka. It is one of the must include places in wildlife tours in India and among the must visit Mysore tourist places.

Spread across 67 sq. km, the sanctuary comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. It was declared in 1940 as a result of many requests from Dr. Salim Ali who surveyed the birds in this area. Since then, the sanctuary has become a paradise for bird watchers. The sanctuary is a breeding ground for many migratory birds from all over the world. It is home to a wide species of birds including cormorants, darters, white ibis, spoon billed storks, open-billed storks, painted storks, white-necked storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, kingfishers, sandpiper, etc.

A boat ride takes you to the six islets crowded with many species of birds. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between June & October.

Timings: 9 AM to 5.30 PM

Entry Fee: Rs. 60 for Indians, Rs. 30 for Indian Children, & Rs. 200 for Foreigners

Boating Charges: Rs. 60 for Adults & Rs. 200 for Foreigners

Parking: Rs. 30 for Four wheeler & Rs. 20 for Two wheeler

Distance from Mysore: 16 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 23 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, Bannerghatta National Park is a wildlife park spread in reserve forests of Anekal Range in Karnataka. At an altitude of 1245 - 1634 m, this one of the most famous wildlife parks in Karnataka and among the top tourist places in Bangalore. This park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants which connects the BR Hills and the Sathyamangalam forest. Bannerghatta is one of the popular national parks in India and among the must include place in Bangalore packages.

Bannerghatta National Park was founded in 1971 and declared as a national park in 1974. Spread over an area of 25,000 acre and a portion of the park became a biological reserve called the Bannerghatta Biological Park in 2002. The park consists of the main Nature Reserve, a zoo, a children's park, an aquarium, a crocodile park, a museum, a butterfly park, a snake park and a safari park. The forest consists of deciduous trees and thorny scrubs.

This is a very prominent destination that attracts people from different parts of the country. The park is home to tigers, lions, leopards, bison, deer, bears, birds and butterflies. One of the main attractions of this park is lion and tiger safari or Grand Safari. The one-hour long ...

Distance from Mysore: 150 Kms

Hill Station | Wildlife | Pilgrimage

At a distance of 85 km from Mysore, 40 km from Chamarajanagar and 170 km from Bangalore, the Biligiri Ranga Hills popularly known as the BR Hills is a lofty hill range in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is considered to be the wildlife corridor that connects Eastern Ghats to Western Ghats. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Mysore and is one of the top attractions you must include in Mysore packages.

BR Hills is famous for BRT Wildlife Sanctuary (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary). The sanctuary is situated at an altitude of 5091 feet and is spread across an area of 540 km. It was declared a tiger reserve in 2010 by the Karnataka State Government. The highest peak within the sanctuary is the Kattari Betta. The wildlife sanctuary is inhabited by a number of animals including elephants, sloth bears, bison, deer, porcupines and a number of other wild animals. It is said that the sanctuary has more than 250 species of birds like the Paradise Flycatcher, Racquet Trailed Drongo and the Crested Hawk Eagle, etc.

Another attraction of the BR Hills is the 500 years old famous Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple which is situated on the highest peak of the hill range, on the white cliff (biligiri) which gives the hill its name. The local form of the deity is called Ranganath, another form of Lord Vishnu and is depicted in a unique standing position. ...

Distance from Mysore: 86 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 71 Kms from Mysore, 85 Kms from Bangalore City Junction, Kokkare Bellur Bird Sanctuary is located in Mandya District of Karnataka and is about 20 km from Mandya. The name of the village is derived from Kokkare meaning stork and Bellur meaning village of jaggery. This is one of the popular tourist places near Bangalore & Mysore.

The Mandya district is famous for sugarcane fields and this village is famous for having large colonies of Painted Storks and Spot-billed Pelicans nesting in trees within the village. It is home to cranes, painted storks and pelicans.

The best season to visit the migratory birds is October to March.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

Distance from Mysore: 71 Kms

Wildlife

About Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary


At a distance of 12 km from Bandipur National Park, 37 km from Ooty, and 92 km from Mysore, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, or Mudumalai National Park is located at the foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in Tamilnadu, and among the must-include places in the Ooty tour.

History of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary


The word Mudumalai is a Tamil word with 'mutu' meaning old, and ancient, and 'malai' means hill or mountain. The name 'Mudumalai forest' was already in use when the British Government rented the forest in 1857 for logging purposes from the Raja of Neelambur. An area of about 60 km2 was established as Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1940. This is the first wildlife sanctuary in South India and one of the best Ooty tourist places. The sanctuary was enlarged in 1977 and incorporated into Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986. It was declared as a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 2007 and got the world heritage site tag under the Western Ghats of India in 2012.

Layout of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary


Spread over 321 sq. km, Mudumalai National Park is the continuation of the Bandipur National Park in the neighboring state of Karnataka, and the Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. The Ooty-Mysore highway passes through the ...

Distance from Mysore: 92 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 35 km from Pollachi and 76 km from Coimbatore, 5 km from Parambikulam, Topslip is a protected tiger reserve located in the Annamalai mountain range of the Western Ghats in Tamilnadu. It is one of the must include places in Pollachi Tour Packages.

Situated at an altitude of 240 m, Topslip is the tourist zone and main birding area of the Annamalai Tiger Reserve, which is separated from the Nilgiri Hills by Palghat Gap in the north. It stands majestically with Green Spread Mountains and forest all around. The place got its name during the British era, as lots of its timber slipped down to the plains below. Topslip is blessed with a gentle altitude, a salubrious climate, and a variety of flora and fauna. Its picturesque location and fabulous scenery have made it a popular location for several movie sequences. It is also famous for the elephant camp.

It is the best gateway for a wonderful wildlife experience of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The unique teak forests, Bamboo forests, rich exotic species of plants, and wild animals are the major attractions of Topslip. It is also a wonderful destination for bird watching as it is home to 250 species of birds. MT Stuart block is another attraction which is located 3 km from Topslip. It has an ancient forest bungalow along with the grave of Hugo Wood, a British officer with an environmental conscience who emphasized that ...

Distance from Mysore: 278 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 5 km from Topslip, 40 km from Pollachi, 80 km from Palakkad, and 82 km from Coimbatore, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected tiger reserve located in Palakkad district of Kerala. Situated on Tamil Nadu - Kerala Border, it is one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala, and among the top places to visit near Pollachi.

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, formerly known as Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 391 Sq. km protected area in Chittur taluk of Palakkad district of Kerala. The wildlife sanctuary, which had an area of 285 sq. km was established in 1973. It is in the Sungam range of hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills. The sanctuary was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2010. Including the buffer zone, the tiger reserve has a span of 643.66 Sq. km. The Western Ghats, Anamalai sub-cluster, including all of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site. It is one of the top places of wildlife near Coimbatore, and among the must include places in Pollachi tour.

Parambikulam is one of the biodiversity hot spots in ...

Distance from Mysore: 281 Kms

Wildlife

At a distance of 12 km from Nagarhole National Park, 12 km from Irupu Falls, and 39 km from Kalpetta, Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, is a sanctuary and Elephant Reserve in the Wayanad district of Kerala. It is one of the must include places in India wildlife tours and among the best Wayanad tourist places.

Established in 1973, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary was brought under the Project Elephant in the year 1991-92. The sanctuary is bordered with Nagarhole WLS & Bandipur WLS in Karnataka and Mudumalai WLS in Tamilnadu. Occupying an area of 345 sq. km, Wayanad WLS is the second largest WLS in Kerala and is now an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The sanctuary was set up with an objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region with due consideration to the general life style of tribes and others whose lives are dependent on the forest. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster, including all of the sanctuary, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.

Among the best sanctuaries near Kozhikode, the sanctuary is divided into two separate parts, known as Upper Wayanad WLS ...

Distance from Mysore: 108 Kms

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