The Real ‘Jungle Book’ At Kanha
Posted On December 29, 2009
Common Info
Kanha National Park is a picturesque wildlife sanctuary located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in the central part of India. The park covers an area of 1,945 square kilometers (with 940 square kilometers of core area) and is located at a height of 600-900 metres above the sea level. Kanha is precisely located in banjar and halon valleys in Mandla/Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. Kanha is known for its rich wildlife particularly tigers (it has one of the largest tiger concentrations in India). Enclosed within the spurs of the Mekal range, Kanha is home to the traditional Gond and the Baiga tribes. The Surpan Rivers cuts across the Kanha National Park. The park was set up in 1955 while the tiger reserve was set up under Project Tiger in 1974. Kanha has a reputation for adopting stringent conversation programmes for various flora and fauna species and is considered one of the best administered wildlife reserve in Asia.
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is the central-most province of India and is the second largest state in India after Rajasthan (it was the largest till 2000 when Chhattisgarh was carved out of it). Madhya Pradesh borders Uttar Pradesh in the north, Chhattisgarh in the east, Maharashtra in the south and Gujarat and Rajasthan in the west. Bhopal is the state capital.
Country Info
India is world’s seventh largest country located in the southern Asia. It has borders with Pakistan in the north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan in north, Myanmar, Bangladesh in the east. The peninsular south is flanked by the Bay of Bengal in the east, Arabian Sea in the west and Indian Ocean in the south. The country is the world’s second largest in terms of population. National capital is New Delhi.
Flora
Kanha features mixed vegetation. The high precipitation encourages high rate of growth of Sal forest (a moist deciduous type). Crocodile Bark trees as well as Arjun (more prominent near the water sources) are found in this forest. Axle wood , Labernum besides evergreen trees alike Mango and Jamun are also found in kanha National Park. Underground species like Lantana and Glerodendron are also common vegetation types found in Kanha. The grassy meadows in the park support the herbivorous species. Mahuwa trees, the flowers of which are source to popular local liquor, are also found aplenty here.
Climate
Kanha mainly experiences a tropical climate. Summers are hot and humid with temperature reaches around 40 degree Celsius. Winters are pleasant when the mercury hovers around 23 degrees Celsius. Annual average rainfall is 152 cm.
Fauna
Besides tigers, Kanha is also home to a great many animal species. Some of the animals found here include Sloth bear, leopard, spotted dear or chital, sambar, chausinga or four-horned antelope, wild boar, striped hyena, jackal, Nilgai antelope, dhole or the Indian wild dog, monkeys and also occasional panthers. Rhesus Macaque, Small Indian civet, Indian Pam squirrel, Indian hare, Indian porcupine. Blackbuck, Indian wild ox, mongoose, otter, golden jackal, barasingas or swamp deer (these were seriously endangered a few years back) and other animals can also be found.
Birds
Over 200 species of birds can also be spotted in Kanha like purple Herons, White-eyed Buzzard, Paddy Bird, Shikra, eagles like Short-toed Eagle, Crested Hawk-Eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle, Grassland Warblers, Blue Jay, Minivets, Cattle Egrets, Black stork, Barbets, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Hawl Cuckoo, Scops Owl, Great Horned Owl and Peafowls and others.
Snakes
There are also various snake species found at Kanha. Indian Python, Indian Cobra, Saw Scaled Viper, Rat snake, Wolf snake are some of the reptiles found here. Kanha is also home to the Indian Marsh Crocodile and the Indian Monitor Lizard.
Butterflies
Blue Oakleaf, Blue Mormon, Common Jezebel are some of the beautiful butterfly species found at Kanha.
Spiders
Giant Wood Spider and Wolf spider are some of the residents of the Kanha.
Prowling predators at Kanha
Tigers are a fascinating watch at the Kanha. A glimpse of the animal from on top of elephant or jeep in the jungle is enough to exude great thrill. The leopard carrying its prey to the top of the tree is another breathtaking shot to capture. The wild dogs (dhole) are another attraction here. They generally hunt in packs of 7-15. They chase down their prey to fatigue and then kill it. Jackals and jungle cats are among smaller predators.
Other attractions at and around Kanha
- Bammi Dadar or the sunset point. The congregation of the deer at this place adds to its charm
- Kanha Museum
- Kawardha Palace, an architectural marvel
- Bandhabgarh National Park, known for its tiger populationNagpur and Jabalpur cities
Accommodation at Kanha
Kanha offers a great number of hotels, resorts and lodges to cater to the thousands of the tourists who come to experience the beauty of Kanha.
- Krishna Jungle Resort
- The Wild Chalet Resort
- The Celebration Van Villas
- Kipling Camp
- Tuli Tiger Resort
- Royal Tiger Resort
- Kanha Jungle Lodge
- Banjaar Tola
Best time to visit the park
Winter is the best season to visit the park. The park is closed from July to mid-November during the monsoon.
How to reach Kanha National Park
Kanha is well-connected with various parts of the country.
- By air
Nagpur is the nearest airport to Kanpur at a distance of 266 kilometres. - By rail
Jabalpur is the nearest railway station - By road
Jabalpur (175 kilometres), Nagpur (266 kilometres), Raipur (219 kilometres) are some of the nearest cities to Kanha. Regular bus service is available from Jabalpur to Kanha.
Kanha is popular culture
Rudyard Kipling’s famous ‘Jungle Book’ was authored on the background of Kanha forest.
Dos and don’ts at Kanha:
Dos:
- Keep camera ready and carry extra film rolls
- Pay heed to the mahout while on an elephant trip
- Be careful from getting hit by long trees like bamboo
- Always remain seated and take care of small children if you are having them with you
Don’ts:
- Try to annoy the wild animals including the tiger
- Make loud noise
- Make flash photography
- carry expectation that you will see the tiger for sure
One of the beautiful wild life I’ve ever seen in my life! A great place to be and a great state of wild life in India!