KANHA - Call of the Wilds
 Kanha's sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendour. This is original Kipling country, of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Book. The same abundance of wildlife species exists today in Kanha National Park, which forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The park is the only habitat of the rare hardground barasingha (Cervus Duvaceli Branderi),
In the 1930s, the Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries: Hallon and Banjar, of 250 sq km and 300 sq km each. Though one of these was subsequently disbanded, the area remained a protected one until 1947. Depletion of the tiger population in the years that followed led to the area being made an absolute sanctuary in 1952.
By a special statute in 1955, Kanha National Park came into being. Since then, a series of stringent conservation programmes for the protection of the park's flora and fauna has given Kanha its deserved reputation for being one of the finest and best administered National Parks in Asia, an irresistible attraction for all wildlife lovers and a true haven for its animal and avian population. |
|
|
|
|
|
 Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, the Kanha National Park is a Tiger Reserve that extends over 1945 sq.km of undulating country. Elevations range from 450 to 900 metres. A horse-shoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal ridge gives Kanha an interesting topography. The Surpan River meander's through Kanha's central maidens - grassland that cover the extensive plateaus. Steep rocky escarpments along their edges offer breathtaking views of the valleys below.
 The grasslands at Kanha interspersed with forests of sal, teeming with varieties of deer - the barasingha, chital (spotted deer), chousingha, nilgai, the majestic gaur (Indian bison) and wild pig, is 'tiger country'. It is ideal for viewing both the predator and the prey.
It was here at Kanha that the first ever scientific study of the tiger was undertaken by the eminent zoologist George Schaller.  Another landmark at Kanha is the preservation of the 'hard ground' barasingha (cervus duvauceli branderi)-the only surviving population of this Central Indian subspecies. This was achieved by extending the grasslands, relocating villages and by increasing the habitat.
The animals at Kanha are best observed from elephant back and the open country makes the chances of sightseeing reasonably good. Deer are seen along the maidens and gaur at Bamhnidadar or in the Bishanpura Sondhar-Ghorella area of the Mukki range. This area is also ideal for spotting the dhole or wild dog. Langurs, wild boar, water fowl and birds are also commonly seen.
| General Information : |
| Best time to Visit |
: March to June |
| Accommodation |
: Forest Lodge (ITDC), Forest Rest Houses, M.P.Tourism Log huts, Kipling Camp. |
| Nearest town |
: Mandla(65Km) |
| How to get there |
:
Air
&
Rail
-
Jabalpur
(170
Km)
,
Nagpur
(270
Km)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
.gif){kind=small}