Nagarhole National Park, the enchanting 641 sq km park in Karnataka has an amazing profusion of wildlife including large mammals such as tiger, leopard, wild elephant, dhole (Indian wild dog), the Asiatic elephant and gaur (Indian bison). Other species present are chital, spotted deer, muntjac (barking deer), mouse deer, four-horned antelope, wild boar, sloth bear, hyena, mongoose, civet and otter. The landscape is one of gentle slopes and shallow valleys. Dry deciduous forest trees are leafless in the summer rather than in the winter. There are grassy swamps where the soil is clayey, perennially moist, and which support a luxuriant growth of green grass all year. The change in terrain throughout the park in refreshing and the river system provides a unique wildlife viewing experience.

Nagarhole National Park derives its name from the combination of two Kannada words- Nagar, meaning snake, and hole, meaning streams. True to its name, quite a few serpentine streams fork through the rich tropical forests of the park. Nagarhole Park was set up in 1955 and in 1975, with its area increased to include a greater expanse of forest reserve, it was recognized as a National Park. The original forest was once an exclusive hunting ground for the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore. The Park was recently renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister of India.

Counted among India's best wildlife parks, Nagarhole has a large elephant and bison population. It also houses a variety of animal species along with approximately 250 species of birds. Besides the enormous variety of woodland birds, there are large congregations of waterfowl in the Kabini River. Birds range from blue-bearded bee-eater, scarlet minivet and Malabar whistling thrush to the more common ospreys, herons and ducks. During the dry season (February - June), this artificial lake attracts a large number of animals, making it an ideal spot for sighting wildlife.