BANDIPUR

BANDIPUR
Turning the tables
By Sunaad Raghuram

This is the story of a hunting ground turned around, a wildlife cemetery turned sanctuary. Where, in the years long gone, many a gun-wielding hunter dispatched many an animal. And many a tale of pathos lies smothered in the scrub, tales of shikars that lead to the selfish self-aggrandisement of the rich, the famous and the powerful. Of a place that is mercifully now a haven, habitat, home, refuge and shelter for many an occupant of the wilds around. A place widely regarded as one of the better-managed national parks in the country , Bandipur National Park. To put it simply, in the bygone era, the royalty of Mysore, the Wodeyars, owned the place. All 880 sq km of it. Having realised the sheer wastefulness and worthlessness of random bullets fired at helpless wild animals in the name of sport, they decided to usher in a change of policy. Thus was born the game sanctuary.

The only shooting happening regularly now is through a multitude of cameras. For the mostly dry deciduous forests of Bandipur interspersed with scrublands hold within them a truly incredible range of wildlife. From the exalted tiger to the porcupine, you'll find them all here. In fact, the park has for long been designated as a tiger reserve under the aegis of Project Tiger and has seen a dramatic increase in the striped cat's population.