Located in the southern part of the beautiful state of Karnataka, Bandipur is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in India.There is something different about jungles where you know elephants roam wild. The feeling has a lot to do with awe, but it goes beyond that. There is something reassuringly eternal about stepping into circumstances that prevailed during the Paleocene Age, when mammals first began to fill niches left by dying dinosaurs. One such mammalian chain that profited was the Proboscidae, after the Latin proboscis, which means nose. Bandipur is elephant country. The Bandipur forests were once the Mysore Maharaja's personal game preserve. Protection began in the early part of the century. It is one of the few reserves that has survived and flourished. Close to other sanctuaries like Mudumalai, Wynaad and Nagarahole, Bandipur maintains its own distinctive identity.

       It was brought under Project Tiger in 1973. It has quietly survived the ill effects of the Kabini River Valley Project and outbreaks of rinderpest that almost completely destroyed the local gaur population. A low profile and careful management has sustained this rich land that continues to flourish with diverse vegetation, thriving animal life and a prolific insect and bird population