Kanha National Park

Location: Mandla & Balaghat Districts, Madhya Pradesh
Nearest Access to Kanha : Mandla * Balaghat

Leopard, Kanha National Park

Coverage Area: 1,940-sq-kms.
Climate: Winter : varies between11°C and 24°C, Summer: 23°C - 40°C
Major Wildlife Attractions: Tigers, Leopard, Gaur, Barasingha, Dhole

Situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque Kanha National Park was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book .Over 1,940 sq km of bamboo thickets, extensive grasslands and dense sal forests make up Kanha- a series of plateaus which stretch across the eastern segment of the Satpura ranges in Madhya Pradesh

One of the largest wildlife reserve in Asia, Kanha National Park was one of the first Project Tiger reserves in India. It is, in many ways, Project Tiger’s biggest success story, with the tiger population having doubled since 1976.

Major Wildlife Attractions – Kanha
The Park was created in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of animal species. Many endangered species have indeed been saved here. Today Kanha is among the few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia. The park was declared a tiger reserve in 1974, when the Project Tiger was launched. This 'Tiger Country' is the ideal home for both predator and prey.

The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, gaur, wild dogs, chousingha, nilgai, sloth bear, sambhar, chital, hard ground barasinga-(12-horned deer), barking deer, hyena, jungle cat and leopard.

Kanha is also avian heaven with birds like Racket-tailed drongo, Magpie Robin, two species of hornbill seen in large numbers. During winters Kanha has large number of migratory birds such as Common Pochard, Lesser Whistling Teal and Blacj Stork. Raptors like Shikra, Honey Buzzard, Sparrow Hawk, lesser Kestrel, Crested serpent eagle, Crested Hawk can also be seen in the park along with vultures like Long-billed and Scavenger Vultures.

King Cobra, Kanha

Wildlife in Kanha National Park
As such, the Kanha National Park is ideal for spotting the wildlife and the animals within the park but still the correct time should be taken care of while your visit at the Kanha National Park. You can spot as many as 175 bird species in Kanha. Kanha national park boasts of about 22 mammals' species. The gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; the sambhar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world are the other animals found in this park. The tourists have to be patient while spotting the king of the jungle - The Tiger. Besides the tigers, you can also observe a Porcupine, Gray Langurs, Mongoose, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard, Deer - the Barasingha, Chital or Spotted Deer, Chousingha, Nilgai, Gaur or Indian Bison and wild Pig. The flora in the park comprises of the Bamboo forests and Sal forests. The herds of spotted deers can be seen with small herds of Antelope, Black Buck, Barking Deer, Barasingha and the Swamp Deer.

Other Attractions In Kanha

Wild Safari in the National Park:

Jeep Safari, Kanha

One can undertake the safari in the National Park in open 4x4 jeeps in early morning and in the afternoon. A forest department guide is always there with the visitors on Jeep Safari taken inside the park. Elephant Safari are primarily used for trekking the tiger in the mornings and a visitor can avail of the elephant ride during the Tiger Show subject to the availability of the Elephants.

Kanha Museum : There is a museum at Kanha national park, depicting attributes and activities of the park and the tribal culture of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Blackbuck :
The Kanha National Park is the only existing habitat of barasingha in India. The jewel of Kanha special programmes are into action to safeguard this species against complete extinction. Barasinghas are surviving here on account of the tall grass meadows in this park. Kanha is also known as the habitat of the tiger. The spotting of tigers and catching them in camera is quite ideal in this park. The first ever scientific study done on tigers by the great zoologist George Schaller was undertaken in this park. One can easily explore these animals on an elephant back or in a jeep under the guidance of a forest guide.

Best Time to Visit
The visiting season to Kanha national park is within the months of April to June and November to January. The park is closed from July to Mid-November that is during the monsoon season.

Park Visitation Timings
1. 15 November to 15 February - Sunrise to 12.00 noon and 3.00 pm to Sunset
2. 16 February to 30 April - Sunrise to 1200 noon and 4.00 pm to Sunset
3. 1 May to 30 June - Sunrise to 11.00 am and 5.00 pm to Sunset

How to Reach Kanha National Park

Sambar Deer, Kanha

By Air : Nagpur is the nearest Airport to visit Kanha National Park and is also connected with Mumbai by various domestic airline services. From Nagpur one can hire the taxi / bus up to the Kanha National Park available in plenty and in large frequency.

By Rail : Jabalpur is the nearest railhead to visit the Kanha National Park. From Jabalpur the tourists can hire a bus / taxi up to the national park.

By Road : Kanha National Park is well connected to Jabalpur 175-kms, Khajuraho 445-kms, Nagpur 266-kms, Mukki 25-kms and Raipur 219-kms by road. There are regular and frequent bus services available from Jabalpur to Kanha.

Local Transport : The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) operates a Jeep Service for the tourists to visit in and around the park. The advance booking has to be made regarding the local sightseeing tour.