Home to around 1,000 Asian elephants, other animals found at Nagarhole include chital (spotted deer), Indian mouse deer, gaur, stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, grey langur, bonnet macaque, Asian wild dog, leopard, tiger and - though more elusive - sloth bear.
The park is a mixture of tropical deciduous forests and lovely open grassland at the edge of the dammed Kabini River. Nagarhole was a former hunting area for the Maharajas of Mysore, the British Viceroys and their officials. Today, however, it is dedicated to protecting wildlife and is without doubt one of the best places in India to see Asian elephant in the wild where, in the hot summer months, they congregate in large herds along the banks of the River Kabini.
Additionally, over 200 species of birds have been recorded here, including grey-headed fishing eagle, crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, oriental honey buzzard and red-headed vulture. Malabar pied hornbill, white-bellied woodpecker, Malabar parakeet, southern coucal, coppersmith and white-cheeked barbets, oriental paradise flycatcher, green imperial pigeon, yellow-footed green-pigeon, and white-bellied, ashy and greater racket-tailed drongos are all often seen.
Due to the large number of elephants in the park, game-viewing and birdwatching are by jeep, though the number of vehicles entering is very strictly controlled. To relieve demand for jeep drives, park regulations require all visitors to take at least one boat safari on the Kabini River dam during their stay. This is a superb experience on which herds of elephants, perched ospreys and grey-headed fish-eagles and clouds of river terns and small pratincoles are likely to be seen. Smooth-coated otters are commonly seen from the boats too.
Nagarhole National Park lies 94 kilometres from the city of Mysore in Karnataka State, in South India.
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