Anshi National Park - Karnataka

Anshi National Park is located in Uttara Kannada district, in the Indian state of Karnataka, bordering the state of Goa. The park is a habitat of Bengal tigers, Black panthers and Indian elephants, amongst other distinctive fauna.

It is notable that Anshi National Park and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary were together granted the status of Project Tiger tiger reserve, being declared as 'Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve' in January, 2007. The 340 km2 (130 sq mi) Anshi park adjoins the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, and together with six adjacent protected areas in the states of Goa and Maharashtra, forms an almost uninterrupted protected forest area of over 2,200 km2 (850 sq mi).

Anshi National Park is rich in flora and fauna. Trees and plants that can be found here are Bamboo, Teak, Eucalyptus, Lantana, Silver Oak, Bauhinia and Xylia xylocarpa.

Anshi National Park is home to more than 200 species of birds. These include the Adjutant Stork, Ashy Black-crested Crested Serpent Eagle, Great Hornbill, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Bulbul, Blue-headed Pitta, Woodswallow, Brahminy Kite, Broad-billed Roller, Malabar Pied Hornbill and Yellow-footed Green Pigeon.

It has the rare distinction of being the only park in Asia where Black Panther is found naturally. Anshi National Park has a variety of species of mammals and reptiles. The forest comprises both rain forests and deciduous forests. A huge array of flora and fauna is found in the Anshi National Park, and it is an ideal home ground for species such as elephants, tigers, deer, black panthers, and wild boars. Not only this, there are variety of reptiles in the forest.

History
The forest in the area was declared the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary on 10 May 1956. The state proposed carving out a section of the sanctuary to form the Anshi national park, and the proposal was implemented on 2 September 1987. The initial proposal covered 250 square kilometres. When the final notification of the park area was issued in 2002, it was extended by another 90 square kilometres.

How to Reach Anshi National Park

Anshi National Park can be reached by rail, road, and air. Karwar railway station, which is 55 kilometers away, is the nearest one. The nearest airport is Dharwad, which is 106 km from the park. Regular buses from Dandeli to Bangalore, Pune, Panaji, Dharwad, Belgaum, Karwar, and Mumbai are available. Bangalore is roughly around 590 kilometers from Anshi National Park.

If you can tolerate the abundant rain and leeches, then you can treat yourself with a variety of flowers that bloom in August and September in Anshi National Park.

Distance from Anshi National Park:
Bangalore: 585 km
Karwar: 60 km
Dharwad: 105 km
Londa: 100 km
Belgaum: 110 km