The region around Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary is warm and comfortable for most parts of the year with temperatures ranging from 24 to 28°C, except for the brief winter that lasts from October to January when the temperature hovers around the 19°C mark. Monsoon is erratic, but it generally rains from June to September.

Apart from being home to the Asiatic elephant, Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary also has a sizable number of tigers. According to a census conducted in 1993, there are 66 tigers. The Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the 15 sanctuaries selected across India for Project Tiger, a scheme launched in 1973, by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in conjunction with the Indian Government. The project is designed to save the tiger and its natural habitat from potential dangers. The best time to spot elephants in Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary in large herds is the rainy season, although they may be spotted anytime of the year as their numerical strength in the forest approximately stands close to a healthy 1,900. Other natural inhabitants of this lovely Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary are gaur (a type of bull), sambhar, chital, mouse deer, four-horned antelope, wild boar, jackal, sloth bear, panther, Malabar squirrel, porcupines and the black-knapped hare. Birds like jungle fowl and green pigeon are also found here.