Nagarhole National Park is an all weather park located 96 km away from Mysore . The area contains the habitat of several rare and endangered species, notably the tiger. Much of it has been protected from the ill effects of development because Indian royalty used the area as a hunting park. Nagarhole is part of the protected area complex that includes Bandipur National Park , Wynad Sanctuary and Mudumalai Sanctuary.

The name Nagarhole is derived from the Kannada word `Naga' meaning `snake' and `Hole' meaning `streams'. A number of streams snake through the rich tropical forests of Nagarhole.

Situated within the Koodogu (Coorg) and Mysore districts of Karnataka, the sanctuary borders the Kerala State . It was originally designated as a game sanctuary in 1955 that centered on the Nagarhole settlement. The sanctuary was later enlarged to its present size in 1974 by combining the Mysore forests and Nagarhole Sanctuary.

The Park has a beautiful landscape of gentle slopes and shallow valleys. The largest river draining the area in the south is the Kabini, which was dammed in 1974.

Other important rivers include Lakshmana, Teentha and Nagarhole. There are several perennial and seasonal streams and tanks, all of which drain into the four major rivers.

Fauna

Animals Four horned antelopa, sloth bear, civet cat, barking deer, mouse deer, spotted deer, wild dog, elephant, jackal, common langur, slender loris, bonnet macaque, common mangoose, small Indian mangoose, striped-necked mangoose, Otter, Pangoline, panther, wild pig, porcupine, sambhar, giant squirrel, flying squirrel, malakar squirrel, threestriped palm squirrel tiger. Birds Pea fowl, common babbler, scinaitar babbler, bea eater, red whiskered bulbul, red vented bulbul, little brown dove, ring dove, spotted dove, crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, tawny eagle, malabar pied hornbill, malabar grey hornbill, loriekeet, minivet, biyth's myna, Alexandrine parakeet, blue winged parakeet, blossom-headed and rose ringed parakeets, southern treepie, green imperial pigeon, adjutant stork, balabar trogon, great Indian Warbler, reed warbler, wood-peckers.Reptiles Common cobra, marsh crocodile (in Kabini river) Krait, Monitor Lizard, rock python, Indian python, bamboo viper, pit viper, Russell's viper, several species of gecko, skink and agamid lizaards, etc.

Flora

The predominant vegetation in the Nagarhole National Park is of southern tropical, moist, mixed deciduous type with a substantial eastern portion intergrading into dry deciduous type. The upper tree canpy is dominated by Terminalia tomentosa is association with Tectonia grandis, Dalbergia latifolia, Pterocarpus marsupium, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Anogeissus latifolia, Adina cordifolia, Boambax malabaricum, Schleichera trijuga, Ficus sp. and others. The lower canopy has Kydia calycina, Emblica officinalis, Gmelina arborea etc. Several shrubs belonging to Solanum, Desmodium and Helicteres sp. etc. are abundantly found but weedy shrubs like Eupatorium and Lantana now dominate.