Bannerghatta National Park

Bannerghatta National Park Bannerghatta National Park Bannerghatta National Park (India)
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location	Karnataka, India
Nearest city	Bangalore
Coordinates	12°48′03″N 77°34′32″E / 12.80083, 77.57556
Area	km².
Governing body	Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

Bannerghatta National Park is situated 22 km south of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The journey to the park takes nearly half an hour from Bangalore. This hilly place is the home for one of the richest natural, zoological reserves. The 25,000 acre (101 km²) zoological park makes this a major tourist attraction of Bangalore.

The Zoological reserve

A panther at Bannerghatta Zoo

The Bannerghatta Tiger and Lion Reserve has a reserve of Indian tigers, lions and other mammals. A mini safari here helps to fund the reserve. The Tiger Reserve of the park has been recognised by the Forest Department of India.

White Tiger at Bannerghatta National Park

Controversy

In 1992, a young child fell prey to a tiger named Bill, allegedly due to carelessness of the Forest Department staff. The incident raised questions on the security of the mini-safari and its maintenance.

The Zoo

Crocodiles in the Bannerghatta Zoo

There is a small museum in the zoo which showcases zoological exhibits. The zoo, which is a major attraction in this area, also has a reptile park and a small theatre. The zoo has been criticised for the maintenance of its exhibits. The Zoo closes on Tuesday (weekly Holiday)

The zoo has separate charges for weekdays and weekends ( or Holidays). The prices currently for A grand safari - of Lions, Tigers & Herbivorus costs Rs. 80 on regular days and Rs. 135 on weekends (and other holidays) where as, to move around the zoo would cost you Rs. 25.00. There are also Lion / Tiger Safari and Elephant joy rides.

Butterfly Park

The country's first Butterfly Park was established at the Bannerghatta Biological Park. It was inaugurated on Saturday November 25, 2006 by Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Science and Technology.

Interpretation Center @ Butterfly Park

The Butterfly Park is spread across 7.5 acres of land. It comprises a butterfly conservatory, museum and an audio-visual room. The butterfly conservatory has a polycarbonate roof and is a 10,000 sq ft (1,000 m²). circular enclosure, inside which the living environment has been carefully designed to support over 20 species of butterflies. The environment has a tropical setting — complete with the humid climate, an artificial waterfall and host plants and shrubs that attract butterflies. The conservatory leads to the second and third domes, which have a museum that will have dioramas and exhibits

The collaborative agencies are the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, University of Agricultural Sciences and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE).