Wildlife in Kanha National Park
Total Coverage Area: 1945 sq. kms./ 94,000 hectares of national park.
Surrounded Area: Surrounded by 100, 500 hectares
of additional buffer area.
Established In : 1933 as a sanctuary
Later Developed As : A National Park 1955 &
As a Tiger Reserve In 1975.
Everyone we know wants to see a tiger. Not in a circus: not in a zoo; not even,
for that matter a tiger corralled in the vast acres of a safari park, although
that's better than not seeing a tiger at all! The best, and by far the most
thrilling, way to see a tiger is to come across it when it is free to roam the
wilderness of its natural habitat: the fields and forests of India. We've seen
wild tigers in many places in our land but nowhere have we seen them as often,
and as regularly as in Kanha National Park.
About Kanha National Park:
Kanha National Park is Kipling country and the nearby forests were the setting
for the "Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. It's an outstanding national
park and wildlife reserve of Central India, noted for its last remaining population
of the hard-ground race of the Swamp Deer (approximately 380). Spotting wild
animals is always a matter of luck, but Kanha is so rich in wildlife that the
odds are titled in your favour. Most people are keener to meet Kanha's most
famous citizen: the Tiger. Thereare a healthy numbers of the Tiger found over
here, which may be seen during the day, and is one of the best places left to
see them.
There are 175 varieties of birds in Kanha National Park. So if you happen to
be bird watcher, look forward to a full spotting itinerary. The terrain inside
the park is varied, nonetheless enjoyable. Bamboo forests flow into Sal forests
and meadows. There are herds of spotted deer to be seen with smaller herds of
spotted deer to be seen with smaller herds of beautiful antelope, the black
buck. With a little luck, you could also spot the timorous barking deer. It's
snapping warns other denizens of the forest that a predator is around. There
is also a very strong possibility that you will see the rare Barasingha, the
Swamp Deer. Once there were only 66 of these in Kanha, but careful conservation
and management raised their population to over 400.
It was at Kanha that the eminent zoologist George Schaller undertook the first
ever-scientific study of the tiger. Another landmark at Kanha is the preservation
of the 'hard ground' Barasingha. This was achieved by extending the grasslands,
relocating villages and by increasing habitat.
The Topography(Kanha National Park):
Kanha has two main valleys, Halon in the east and Banjar in the west, and the
grassy 'maidans' (often old village sites), dotted with clumps of forest harbour
large numbers of herbivores. The hills offer support sizeable plateaus (locally
called 'Dadars') and the characterized by extensive grasslands and scant trees.
These 'Dadars' are much favoured by Gaur and Four-horned Antelope.
The forests are deciduous, the main tree being the Sal, and there are large
stands of bamboo. Higher up the slopes the forests tend to become dense and
mixed with Haldu and Bija trees. Birds in the park include the Painted Partridge,
Shaheen Falcon and Golden Oriole.
Visiting Season (Kanha National Park) :
Months from November-June are favorable for visitation in the park; still the
best period is February-April.
Access (Kanha National Park) :
By Air: Drive from Jabalpur (6 hours), which is also the nearest airport
or from Nagpur (7 hours drive). There are regular air services to Raipur and
Nagpur (270 kms) from other airports in India. From these airports one has to
drive to the park.
By Rail: The most convenient railheads for Kanha are Jabalpur and Nagpur.
These two are well connected by fast and superfast trains other destinations
in India.
By Road: To access the Kanha National Park there are two ways, via Khatia
or via Kisli. From Jabalpur there are daily bus services to these places. From
Jabalpur, Bilaspur and Raipur one can hire taxis to the park. No vehicles are
allowed inside the park after dark so get there before dusk.