Bandipurwas once a private hunting reserve for the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. Ithas remarkable variety of flora and fauna. Bandipur is home to Leopard, AsiaticWild Dogs, Stripped Hyenas, Jackals, Jungle Cats, Leopard Cats, Rusty SpottedCats, Palm Civet, Small Indian Civets, Otters and four different species ofMongooses (the common stripe necked, brown and ruddy mongooses), Gaur, Sambar,Cheetal, Muntjac, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Four-Horn Antelope, Pangolin,Indian Porcupine, Fruit Bat, Spender Loris, Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Wild Pig,Black Sapped Hare and variety of reptiles such as Rock Python, Cobra, MarshCrocodile, Monitor Lizard, Rat Snake, Wolf Snake, Common Krait, Runel's ViperBamboo Pit Viper and Green Keel Back are also found here.