Bangalore – Wildlife Destinations Galore

Bangalore is known as the City of Gardens. Being the capital city of the state of Karnataka, it is a hub of tourist activity and provides a land and air connection to the many wildlife destinations all around the state. Here are a few perfect places for a wildlife lover in Bangalore.

Bannerghatta National Park (22 km)

Located about 22 kilometers to the south of Bangalore City, this wildlife destination near Bangalore is a 260.51 square kilometer park that boasts a lot of exciting avenues of exploration. Some of its notable attractions include a biological reserve, an animal rescue center, an aquarium and the famous zoo. The safari park offers the visitors an up, close and personal experience with the flora and fauna of this incredible park.

Mudumalai National Park (235 km)

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park spreads over an area of 321 square kilometers across the states of Karnataka, Kerala and chiefly Tamil Nadu. It is most famous for also being a tiger reserve where its population of 48 Bengal tigers are free to roam around. This unique attraction warrants its inclusion in this list of wildlife destinations near Bangalore as it’s located only about 235 kilometers to the southwest of Bangalore city. 

Bandipur National Park (229 km)

Bandipur National Park was established in 1974 also as a tiger reserve. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) along with adjacent Madumalai and Nagarhole National parks. Like the other parks in the NBR, it is also accessible through road links NH275 and NH766 located at a distance of about 229 kilometers from the Bangalore city. It is regarded as one of the more beautiful and well managed parks in India. 

Nagarahole National Park (220 km)

Located to the north-west of Bandipur National park, another wildlife destination near Bangalore, the Nagarhole National Park covers an area of 643 square kilometers. Established in 1988, it was also declared a tiger reserve in 1999. It is notable for its unique ecology as it is host to at least five rivers, numerous seasonal streams, four small perennial lakes as well as several swamps and the Kabini reservoir. 

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (56 km)

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Mandya located about 56 kilometers south west of Bangalore. It is spread over 1027 square kilometers and caters to several critically endangered mammal species like squirrels in addition to usual residents which include elephants, wild boars and leopards. Endangered species of vultures are also found here. 

Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve (117.6 km)

Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve was formerly known as Maidenahalli after a small village of the same name close to it. This wildlife destination near Bangalore is located in the Tumkur district. This reserve has the second largest population of black bucks. It also provides home to Indian wold, jungle cats, Indian gray mongoose, bats, hares and a few species of rodents as well. 

Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary (210 km)

Located about 210 km to the south west of Bangalore city, Malai Mahadeshwara is a protected wildlife sanctuary. It is home to the famed Malai Mahadeshwara Hills Temple (its namesake) which is located within the sanctuary. The sanctuary is part of a continuous tiger habitat located close to the trifecta junction states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (140 km)

Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary is located 140 kilometers from Bangalore and is located in the Mandya district. Covering an area of about 49 square kilometers, it was declared a sanctuary in 1974 with the prime objective of providing a safety net to the wolf, this wildlife destination near Bangalore is also inhabited by leopards, jungle cats, Black bucks, spotted deers and Indian Foxes among the many. It is located 5 kilometers from its namesake, the town of Melkote.