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Nagarahole has an elevation between 700 m and 960 m with the Masal Betta peak being the highest point and the Kabini River being the lowest. The Brahmagiri hill range provides a backdrop to the park and the park has gently undulating terrain crisscrossed by many rivers and streams. The Kabini River is the major river draining the park with the Nagarahole River lending its name to the park.
Nagarahole was accorded the status of a National Park in 1983.The Nagarahole ecosystem supports the highest density of herbivores anywhere in south-east Asia. Large herbivores in Nagarahole are Muntjak, Chital, Sambar, Four-hourned Antelope, Gaur, Wild pig, Asian Elephant, Common Langur and the Bonnet Macaque. The density of herbivores in Nagarhole , rivals that of the Masai Mara in Africa when taken on a per sq kilometer basis . Because the availability of prey is not a limiting resource in Nagarahole, selective predation has facilitated large carnivore co-existence in the park and the predominant larege predators here are Tigers,Leopards and Wild Dogs.
The principal reasons for large carnivore coexistence in Nagarahole vis-à-vis the African Savanna are ecological factors such as adequate availability of appropriate sized prey, dense cover and tree density which is absent in the African Savanna and the fact that behavioral factors such as habitat specificity, choice of hunting sites or inter-specific dominance play a relatively minor role in Nagarahole.
It is this large presence of Mammals, coupled with a varied and extremely scenic landscape comprising hills, rivers and water beds that make Nagarhole and Kabini a must do foer serious wildlife enthusiasts.
