| Location
of Kanha National Park: |
Mandla
District, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Area covered: |
1940 sq. km. |
| Main Wildlife
Found in Kanha National Park: |
Tiger,
Leopard, Bear |
| Best
time to visit Kanha National Park: |
November
to June (The park remains closed
from July to October) |
 The
Kanha National Park, in Madhya Pradesh,
forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve
created in 1974, under Project Tiger.
Stretching over 940 sq km, the vegetation,
chiefly made of sal and bamboo forests,
grasslands and streams, this park is
the sole habitat of the rare hardground
barasingha.
The forests of the
Banjar valley and Halon valley, respectively
forming Kanha's western and eastern
halves, had even , at the turn of the
century, been famous for their deer
and tiger population. By a special statute
in 1955, Kanha National Park came into
being. Since then, a string of stringent
conservation programmes have been launched,
for the overall protection of the park's
fauna and flora. It is one of the most
well-maintained National Parks in Asia,
and a major attraction for avid wildlife
buffs all over the world.
 Kanha
boasts of about 22 species of mammals.
Some of the inhabitants of this park
are the gaur, the largest of the world's
cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian
deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned
antelope in the world. Other frequent
visitors include the Nilgai antelope,
the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian
wild dog, and an occasional panther.
Some 200 species of birds inhabit the
park, that include the cattle egret,
black ibis, hawk eagle, and the red-wattled
lapwing. Shravantal is an old, earthenbound
tank in the central Kanha meadows, which
happens to be an important watering
hole, for a large number of water fowl
in winter. Bamni Dadar, known as Sunset
Point, is the most beautiful section
of the park, and the view of the sunset
from this spot is absolutely mesmerising.
Quite a few animals can be sighted around
this area which include the sambar,
gaur, the four-horned antelope and the
barking deer.
 Blackbuck
The barasingha is undoubtedly,
the jewel of Kanha, and drastic steps
have been taken to rescue it from complete
extinction. The enlargement of the grasslands,
through village reallocation, has been
responsible for this impressive achievement.
Barasinghas exist almost totally on
grass, and tall grass meadows are essential
for their security. At the height of
winter, between December and January,
falls the rutting season of these animals,
and huge groups can be easily spotted
in the Kanha and Sonph meadows.
But for all the astonishing
diversity in its wildlife population,
Kanha is best known as the habitat of
the tiger. Sighting and photographing
this magnificent animal from elephant
back, is an unforgettable experience.
It was here that the first ever scientific
study of the tiger was undertaken by
the great zoologist George Schaller.
M P S T D C jeeps are
available on hire for touring the park.
For tiger-tracking, elephants are used.
Forest Department guides accompany visitors
around the park on circuits, which enable
the latter to view a good cross-section
of the abundant wildlife.
Best time to visit
Kanha National Park
The park is closed
from July 1 to October 31, because of
the heavy monsoon. The ideal time to
visit Kanha would be the period between
February and June. A stay of at least
3 nights is recommended, in order, to
get a really good sighting of Kanha's
more elusive animals.
How to get there
Khatia (3 km from Kisli)
and Mukki are the two main entry points
to the Park. The nearest town is Mandla
(65 km).
By air: Nearest
airports are located at Jabalpur (170
km), Raipur and Nagpur (270 km).
By rail: The
closest railheads are at Jabalpur and
Bilaspur.
By road: A daily
bus service is available for Kisli and
Mukki from Jabalpur, and back. It is
advisable to reach Kisli before sunset,
as vehicles are not allowed in the park
after dark.
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