Situated on the banks of River Kabini, Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary Spread over 55 acres, and is a part of the Nagarhole National Park or Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Reserve. The Park used to be a Private hunting lodge of the former rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore of the Wodeyar Dynasty. It was also a popular shikar spot for the British Viceroys and Indian Royalty. It was set up in 1955 as a Wildlife sanctuary and later in the year 1988, only to be later upgraded to a National Park and in the year 1999 the park was declared as Tiger Reserve.

Situated on the banks of River Kabini, Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary Spread over 55 acres, and is a part of the Nagarhole National Park or Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Reserve. The Park used to be a Private hunting lodge of the former rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore of the Wodeyar Dynasty. It was also a popular shikar spot for the British Viceroys and Indian Royalty. It was set up in 1955 as a Wildlife sanctuary and later in the year 1988, only to be later upgraded to a National Park and in the year 1999 the park was declared as Tiger Reserve.

Get transported to heaven on earth with just a 5 hour drive from the city of Bangalore or 2 hour-drive from Mysore. A trip to Kabini is an absolutely rejuvenating experience. The magic of the lush green forests unfolds as soon as you step in. Words fall short and pictures fail to do justice to the enchanting forest. It is nature at its best !

The once in a lifetime opportunity: Black Panthers are extremely rare. Do not miss this opportunity to spot the elusive and mystical Black Panther in the wild. A black panther is in fact the melanistic colour variant of the Indian Leopard caused by excess black pigmentation called melanism, caused by a recessive allele. The typical spotted markings are present but hidden due to the excess black pigments, which is called “”ghost rosettes””. Melanism provides selective camouflage advantage in regions of dense forest, where light levels are lower.

Picture by Mithun

This is also the only park that allows you to explore on foot, in a coracle, in a boat, a gypsy or a cantor. Choice is yours ! Take a coracle ride and watch the Matriarch with her herd while they bathe at the edge of the backwaters !

The journey begins with the quaint village homes and rustic markets. The lust green farms follow. They are spread across flatlands beside waterbodies or even on hillocks. Occasionally farms appear white and orange because of tuberose and marigold cultivations. The banana and palms are sure to steal your heart !

Dramatic as the entrance may have been, the forest is even more dramatic. Even the air feels green. The gypsy path is lined with tall trees with woodpeckers pecking on them and the long gorgeous, tails of peacocks dangling from the branches overhead. The path tunnels into the mists of early morning. The green is spangled with white of congress grass or orange, pinks and reds of lantanas.

But the best is yet to come…

Remember the scene from the iconic movie – Jurassic park, when the visitors (scientists and lawyer) see the grasslands and waterbody teeming with dinosaurs for this first time ? The very same feeling, except in this case it is teeming with wildlife of Cenozoic era, our era. The jungle paths suddenly end and the canopy and trees disappear from your surroundings. All you see is the vast grassland surrounding the backwaters of River Kabini and the dense jungle surrounding the grassland as far as eyes can see. You are only surrounded by hundreds of spotted deer, samabr deer, wild boar. Oh but look ! there amidst the deer a solitary king vulture sits ! And there- a large herd of elephants with a day old baby following it’s mother ! Like all this was not already breath taking, a pack of dhole are on the hunt !

This view can also be experienced from the backwater side by boat safari or coracle rides.

Spread over 55 acres of Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary is home to carnivores like the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, dhole, sloth bear and the striped hyena. They prey on the large populations herbivores are chital, sambar deer, barking deer, gaur and wild boar. The park, having large waterbodies is home to a healthy population of elephants.

Other mammals that are found in the park are grey langur, bonnet macaque, jungle cat, leopard cat, slender loris, small Indian civet and Asian palm civet, Indian brown mongoose and stripe-necked mongoose. On rare occasions you will be able to sight the European otter, Indian giant flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel, porcupine, golden jackal, and Indian pangolin.

Over 250 species of birds are found at Nagarhole National Park. Besides the enormous variety of woodland birds, there are large congregations of waterfowl in the Kabini river. Birds range from blue-bearded bee-eater, scarlet minivet and Malabar whistling thrush to the more common ospreys, herons and ducks.[citation needed]

Over 270 species of birds have been recorded in the park, including endemic include species such as the blue-winged parakeet, Malabar grey hornbill and the white-bellied treepie. Largest of the woodpeckers, the white-bellied woodpecker is found here. Not to mention the elusive spot-bellied eagle owl. Kabini backwaters is home to a large population of waterfowls.

Reptiles commonly found here are Indian Rock Python, mugger , common vine snake, common wolf, rat snake, bamboo pit viper, Russell’s viper, common krait , Indian monitor lizard and the common toad.