About Kanha National Park
How many of you have seen a tiger before? Most of the answers will be
ambiguous because everyone wants to see a tiger. Then where can one spot
a tiger? Well, even if there are
circuses and zoo's all over India, there's some kind of a thrill you
experiences when all of a sudden you came across a
Tiger roaming freely in the wilderness
of its natural habitat: the fields and forests of India. There are
numerous Tiger reserves in India, that are preserving this ferocious
beast, but nowhere can you see them as often, and as regularly as in
Kanha National Park.
Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha national park
cum Tiger reserve extends over an area of over 1,940-sq-kms. The major
feature of this region's interesting topography is the horseshoe shape
valley and the whole park area is surrounded by the spurs of the Mekal.
The Surpan River meanders through Kanha's central Maidans, grasslands
that cover the extensive plateau. Steep rocky escrapments along the
edges offer breathtaking views of the valley.
Flora & Fauna - Kanha National Park
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 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.
Major Wildlife Attractions of Kanha
Spotting wild animals is always a matter of luck but Kanha is so rich
in wildlife that the odds are titled in your favour. First time visitors
are often so keen to spot the larger animals that they overlook the
smaller ones. There are 175 varieties of birds in Kanha. So if you
happen to be bird watcher, look forward to a full bird show. Most people
are keener to meet Kanha's major attraction, the
Tiger; still one has to be patient to
spot one.
But while on a mission to find a tiger, one can easily catch glimpses
of all the grazers, a Porcupine, many Gray Langurs, Mongoose, Hyena,
Jungle Cat, even a Leopard. Other wild attractions in this Tiger country
include varieties of Deer - the Barasingha, Chital or Spotted Deer,
Chousingha, Nilgai, as well as the majestic Gaur or Indian Bison and
wild Pig.
Other Attractions in Kanha
Elephant
Safari : The animals at Kanha are best observed from the
elephant back and the open country makes the chance of sightings
reasonably good.
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.
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.
How to Get there
By Airport : Nagpur at 266-kms is the nearest Airport
to visit Kanha National Park and is connected by various domestic
airline services with Mumbai.
By Railway Station : Jabalpur at 169-kms is the convenient
rail head to visit Kanha.
By Road : Kanha National Park is connected by road
with Jabalpur 175-kms, Khajuraho 445-kms, Nagpur 266-kms, Mukki 25-kms,
Raipur 219-kms. Within the park: Koshi - Kanha (9-kms), Kishi - Katia
(4-kms), Kishi - Mukki (32-kms). There are regular to and fro bus
service available from Jabalpur to Kanha.
