Kanha National Park
Encyclopedia
Kanha National Park is a national park and a Tiger Reserve in the Mandla
and Balaghat
districts of Madhya Pradesh
, India
. In the 1930s, Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 km² . Kanha National Park was created on 1 June, 1955. Today it stretches over an area of 940 km² in the two districts Mandla
and Balaghat
. Together with a surrounding buffer zone of 1,067 km² and the neighboring 110 km² Phen Sanctuary it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve. This makes it the largest National Park in Central India
The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard
s, the sloth bear
, Barasingha
and Indian wild dog
. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book "
Kanha Tiger Reserve abounds in meadows or maidans which are basically open grasslands that have sprung up in fields of abandoned villages, evacuated to make way for the animals. Kanha meadow is one such example. There are many species of grass recorded at Kanha some of which are important for the survival of Barasingha
(Cervus duvauceli branderi). Dense forested zones with good crown cover has abundant species of climbers, shrubs and herbs flourishing in the understory. Aquatic plants in numerous "tal" (lakes) are life line for migratory and wetland species of birds.
Among the deer species Swamp Deer or Hard Ground Barasingha is pride of the place as it is the only sub species of swamp deer in India (Cervus Duavcelli Branderi). The animal is adopted to hard ground unlike swamp deers of the North which live in marshy swamps. Kanha National Park has been instrumental in rescuing the “Swamp Deer” from extinction. Indian Gaur (Bos guarus)is in reality an ox race it is found in Kanha But seen mostly as winters ends. In summers gaur inhabit meadows and water holes in the park.
Common feature of the park animals are spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, four horned deer. The latter can be seen at Bamni Dadar climb. Recently mouse deer has been discovered in the tiger reserve.
Black buck did not survive here as the habitat was not suitable. Recently Black buck have reintroduced inside a fenced area in the park. Nilgai can be seen near the Sarahi Gate while Indian Wolf once commonly seen at Mocha is a rare sight now. Hyena and sloth bear are seen with luck. Langurs and wild boars are common but the pugnacious rhesus macaque is less seen.
Nocturnal animals like fox, hyena, jungle cat, civets, porcupine, ratel or honey badger and hares can be seen outside the park confines.
Reptiles Python, Cobra, Krait, Rat Snake, Viper, Keelbacks, Grass snakes etc are nocturnal animals rarely seen. There are many species of turtles as well as amphibians found in or near the water bodies.
, Delhi
. Mandla
(70 km) has a good connection with Kanha and there is a tourist taxi service from Jabalpur to the national park. From jabalpur, travel via mandla
and Nainpur
- perhaps with an overnight stop - and take the diversion at Bamhni. Mandla, Nainpur and Seoni all have sports clubs, Internet cafes, guides, christian churches and some beautiful temples.
There are three gates for entrance into the forest. The Kisli gate is best accessed from Jabalpur and stops at the village Khatia, inside the buffer area. The second gate is Mukki and the last, and most recently opened gate, is Serai.Jabalpur is the most convenient place to get here.
The Nearest Airport are Jabalpur , Raipur & Nagpur ( Distance 175 Km. , 220 Km. & 275 Km. Respectively)
Mandla
-Demographics: India census, Mandla had a population of 45,907. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandla has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 72%. Majority of Population belongs Adivasi, so...
and Balaghat
Balaghat
Balaghat is a city and a municipality in Balaghat district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balaghat District. The town was originally called "Burha" or "Boora", but this name was replaced by "Balaghat", which was originally the name of the district...
districts of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In the 1930s, Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 km² . Kanha National Park was created on 1 June, 1955. Today it stretches over an area of 940 km² in the two districts Mandla
Mandla
-Demographics: India census, Mandla had a population of 45,907. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandla has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 72%. Majority of Population belongs Adivasi, so...
and Balaghat
Balaghat
Balaghat is a city and a municipality in Balaghat district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balaghat District. The town was originally called "Burha" or "Boora", but this name was replaced by "Balaghat", which was originally the name of the district...
. Together with a surrounding buffer zone of 1,067 km² and the neighboring 110 km² Phen Sanctuary it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve. This makes it the largest National Park in Central India
The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s, the sloth bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
, Barasingha
Barasingha
The Barasingha or Swamp deer is a deer species currently found in isolated localities in north and central India, and southwestern Nepal, and is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh....
and Indian wild dog
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book "
Flora
Kanha National Park is home to over 200 species of flowering plants. The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees, interspersed with meadows. The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature with bamboo on slopes (Dendrocalamus strictus). A very good looking Indian ghost tree (kullu) can also be seen in the dense forest.Kanha Tiger Reserve abounds in meadows or maidans which are basically open grasslands that have sprung up in fields of abandoned villages, evacuated to make way for the animals. Kanha meadow is one such example. There are many species of grass recorded at Kanha some of which are important for the survival of Barasingha
Barasingha
The Barasingha or Swamp deer is a deer species currently found in isolated localities in north and central India, and southwestern Nepal, and is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh....
(Cervus duvauceli branderi). Dense forested zones with good crown cover has abundant species of climbers, shrubs and herbs flourishing in the understory. Aquatic plants in numerous "tal" (lakes) are life line for migratory and wetland species of birds.
Fauna
At Kanha the majestic tiger is the keystone species. The big cats tigers and leopards are tertiary carnivores in the food chain. Besides the big cats wild dogs, wild cat, fox and the jackal are carnivores commonly seen at Kanha.Among the deer species Swamp Deer or Hard Ground Barasingha is pride of the place as it is the only sub species of swamp deer in India (Cervus Duavcelli Branderi). The animal is adopted to hard ground unlike swamp deers of the North which live in marshy swamps. Kanha National Park has been instrumental in rescuing the “Swamp Deer” from extinction. Indian Gaur (Bos guarus)is in reality an ox race it is found in Kanha But seen mostly as winters ends. In summers gaur inhabit meadows and water holes in the park.
Common feature of the park animals are spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, four horned deer. The latter can be seen at Bamni Dadar climb. Recently mouse deer has been discovered in the tiger reserve.
Black buck did not survive here as the habitat was not suitable. Recently Black buck have reintroduced inside a fenced area in the park. Nilgai can be seen near the Sarahi Gate while Indian Wolf once commonly seen at Mocha is a rare sight now. Hyena and sloth bear are seen with luck. Langurs and wild boars are common but the pugnacious rhesus macaque is less seen.
Nocturnal animals like fox, hyena, jungle cat, civets, porcupine, ratel or honey badger and hares can be seen outside the park confines.
Reptiles Python, Cobra, Krait, Rat Snake, Viper, Keelbacks, Grass snakes etc are nocturnal animals rarely seen. There are many species of turtles as well as amphibians found in or near the water bodies.
Transport & facilities
Jabalpur has the nearest airport (175 km) with flights to many big cities in India, like MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Mandla
Mandla
-Demographics: India census, Mandla had a population of 45,907. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandla has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 72%. Majority of Population belongs Adivasi, so...
(70 km) has a good connection with Kanha and there is a tourist taxi service from Jabalpur to the national park. From jabalpur, travel via mandla
Mandla
-Demographics: India census, Mandla had a population of 45,907. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandla has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 72%. Majority of Population belongs Adivasi, so...
and Nainpur
Nainpur
Nainpur is a town and a municipality in Mandla district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.- Geography :Nainpur is located at the absolute center of the country. It is surrounded by two rivers Chakor & Thanwar. It also has a lake called Railway Taalab....
- perhaps with an overnight stop - and take the diversion at Bamhni. Mandla, Nainpur and Seoni all have sports clubs, Internet cafes, guides, christian churches and some beautiful temples.
There are three gates for entrance into the forest. The Kisli gate is best accessed from Jabalpur and stops at the village Khatia, inside the buffer area. The second gate is Mukki and the last, and most recently opened gate, is Serai.Jabalpur is the most convenient place to get here.
General information
- Area: (core) 940 km²
- Terrain: sal and bamboo forests, plateaus, meadows and meandering streams
- Best Season: February to June
- Morning Visiting Hours: 6:30 am to 12:00 noon
- Evening Visiting Hours: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
- Closed: 1 July to 15 October
The Nearest Airport are Jabalpur , Raipur & Nagpur ( Distance 175 Km. , 220 Km. & 275 Km. Respectively)