Bannerghatta National Park

The wilderness closer to Bengaluru, the crowded place on weekends and holidays, the place the kids need to be taken, the place to picnic for the families, yet everybody undermines the importance of this place and snubs it as a “zoo” only.

(A new day, a new hope...)

The Bannerghatta Biological Park where most of the visitors visit is part of the larger Bannerghatta National Park ­that hosts a lot of wildlife in it and is also an important elephant corridor in the region.

 

We (I) generally visit the park area avoiding the zoo and the safari rides and roam around the other places rich in birdlife and usually devoid of crowds. I’m happy to have visited the right places with the right people like Deepa, Amit, Kannan’s, Sanjeev, Vaibhav and many others where every time I got to learn and see something new.

I’m copying below what Deepa had to mention about the spots around BBP for interesting things and in particular the birdlife, but before a few things of what to do and what not to…

1. Enjoy what you see, and observe first. There is a lot to be learnt rather than photographic documentation only. Do not rush to take photographs.
2. For documentation purpose, do make a list of what you’ve seen with the dates and add notes and sketches if possible.
3. Try not to disturb the animals or creatures or as little as possible in case of insects or smaller beings. Wear dull colored clothes and avoid drastic or sudden movements.
4. Avoid litter in any form. If you can, please volunteer to clean the place.
5. If the forest department or JLR staff warn you about wild elephants in the area, heed to their warning; often wild elephants try to mingle with the camp elephants.

And now listed are some areas where you find bountiful of life forms, be it birds, insects, mammals, butterflies and many more…

1. Come out of the Bannerghatta bus terminus, facing the windmill and Hill View restaurant, come down the stairs, and go left, take the path to the immediate left of the terminus wall. This will take you to the public parking lot (where you will always see a Rufous-tailed Lark couple!). Go into the area behind the car park (to the east) and you will find a large quarry pond, a citrus orchard, and further, a large banyan tree. A lot of birds will reward your efforts!

2. Go down from the main gate of the Zoo towards the Herbivore Safari Park gate. The Zoo wall will be on your right. This avenue is named ‘Flycatcher Avenue’ by Deepa Mohan and rightly so as you see lot of flycatchers in this lane (Tickells’ blue, Asian Paradise, Brown breasted, Fantail, Asian Brown, etc…)

3. Further ahead is the pond named as Kingfisher pond by Deepa Mohan. Rightly so, you get to see the White breasted, Common blue and the Pied Kingfishers here. Walk around the pond and look across the fence area too, you may sight some herbivores too.

4. The quarry pond next to the butterfly park (go up the bund) and you may see some Pied Kingfishers and Waders. Beyond this is a No entry area – Don’t trespass.

5. The butterfly park is a host to many colorful wonderful butterflies.

6. Outside of the park area, the road towards Ragihalli, Shivanahalli are also good.

Please do not venture into the forests thinking you are the bravest around and risk your life as it happened recently! It's an important elephant corridor area and they don't like intruders in their domain.

Be Safe and let them live Safe!

Deepa Mohan blogs at

http://deponti.livejournal.com,
http://deponti.wordpress.com