Destination Features

Location : Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh

Nearest Access  : Mandla

Main Wildlife Found : Tigers, Leopards, Bears

Coverage Area : 1,940-sq-kms

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. Kanha also shelters one of the largest populations of the tigers in the country. Some of the other larger animal species found in the park are sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, spotted dear, wild boar, jungle cat, jackal and a variety of monkeys. Over 200 spices of birds have been spotted in the park. There are many folklore about how it got kanha name. Some say it came from kanha, the clay like soil of the river bottoms, Other say the area is named for kanha a holy forest sage, who once lived here and was the father of shakuntala, whose son was Bharat and whose story was told in our legends.

How to Get there
Air : Nagpur at 266-kms is the nearest Airport to visit Kanha National Park and is connected by various domestic airline services with Mumbai.

Rail : Jabalpur at 169-kms is the convenient rail head to visit Kanha.

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.

Local Transport : The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) operates a Jeep Service for visitors to go around in the park. Advance bookings can be made through the Manager, MPSTDC, Log huts, Kisli. Wild Chalet Resorts at Village Mocha, Kanha can also arrange for local sightseeing.

Distances from important cities / towns
Overland
Jabalpur: 230 km 5 hours
Nagpur: 300 km 6 hours
Raipur: 230 km 5 hours
Bandhavgarh : 325 km 7 hours

By Air:
Jabalpur : 230 km 5 hours
Raipur : 230 km 5 hours

By Rail
Umaria : 35 km 1 hour
Satna : 130 km 3 hours
Jabalpur : 200 km 4 h

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.

Wildlife in Kanha National Park

Kanha boasts of about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Other frequent visitors include the Nilgai antelope, the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian wild dog, and an occasional panther. List of mammals one can spot at kanha national park.

Flora in Kanha National Park

The forest is mixed and given the high rainfall precipitation one finds extensive stretches of Sal (Shorea robusta), a tree of moist deciduous forest in central and north India. The Sal is good quality timber, the leaves are good fodder, fruits have nutritional & medicinal value and is valued greatly by tribals. The other common tree species belong to the Terminalia genus, the most numerous being what in India is popularly known as Crocodile bark, the earlier Scientific name being Terminalia tomentosa, now it is referred to as Terminalia crenulata, it is good timber, locals call it as Saja and in Maharashtra it is called as Ain. Terminalia arjuna, locally called Arjun is distinct because of its pale bark and thick girth, is more common near water sources. Other Terminalia species are Terminalia chibula and Terminalia bellarica, Axle wood (Anogeisis latifolia), locally referred to as Dhaoda, good for making charcoal and agricultural implements is common. Labernum or Amaltas (Cassia fistula) with lovely yellow blossoms in the dry season and Flame of the forest or Palas (Butea frondosa) a glorious sight in the drier season when it is flowering, are found sprinkled all over the forest. Huge trees of Baja (Pterocarpus marsupium) & Haldu (Adena cardifolia) along with host of other large & small trees comprise the thick forest. Evergreen trees like Mango (Mangifera indica) and of Jamun or Black plum (Syzigium cumini) are also found. Bamboo thickets (Dendrocalamus strictus) are commonly found, the undergrowth is quite thick with species like Lantana and Glerodendron. The rolling meadows of grass and grassy plateau are integral to the health of the herbivore population. In some areas wildlife management practices have deliberately prevented the progression of secondary and climax vegetation to ensure adequate grasslands for the herbivores. No note on flora can be complete without a note on tall luxurian tree, Mahuwa (Madhuca Indica). Flowers of the tree useful as food and are source of very popular liquor which is compared to Ambrosia or nector of the god.

Fauna in Kanha national Park
The largest herbivore here is the Indian Wild Ox or Gaur (Bos gaurus) mistakenly called as Indian Bison. A magnificent animal, found in small herds more towards the Mukki region of the park. The Sambar (Cervus unicolor) is the largest Indian deer, usually found singly. The most significant deer species in this forest is the sub species of the Swamp deer - the Barasingha (Cervus durauceli branderi), often referred to as "The Jewel of Kanha", Kanha being the only remaining habitat. It is distinct from the Swamp deer found in the swampy areas of the north in having a darker coat and well knit hooves instead of the splayed hooves of the other subspecies. This deer was pushed to the brink of extinction in the early 1970s with their number going down to around 66, now with conservation efforts it has gone up to around 500. The most commonly seen deer is the Chital or Spotted deer (Axis axis) in large herds. The Muntjac or Barking deer (Munitiacus muntjac) a small plain solitary deer is seen quite regularly. Blackbuck (Antilope cericapra) and the elusive Chowsingha (Tetracerus quadricornus) - only fourhorned antelope in the world, are also seen. The Blackbuck, not typically an animal of the moist deciduous forest saw its number dropping to around 10 in 1986 and is a part of captive breeding program and the numbers are rising. Chital or Spotted deer (Axis axis)

Among the large predators, the Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) takes pride of place. A fascinating animal, an encounter with one even from a jeep or elephant can be a spine tingling experience for the sheer majesty, grace and power which the tiger exudes. The Leopard (Panthera paradus), is the most ubiquitous of the large predators in India. Leopard, a agile tree climber, often carrying its prey up trees is a remarkable and the most adaptable predator. The Dhole or Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus), referred to as whistling hunters are very interesting in terms of stories of their hunting prowess. They hunt in packs between 7 to 15 and tire out their prey with long chases. Jackal (Canis aurens), Jungle cat (Felis bengalensis) are common among the small predators. The Sloth bear (Melursus ursianus) is more common in the hilly areas, can occasionally be seen. It is an omnivore with its diet mostly made up of berries, honey and insects. Porcupine, Pangolin or Scaly anteater are very rarely seen. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) which feeds on roots, carrion etc., is very commonly seen. Apart from the larger animals, Kanha is a veritable paradise for birdwatchers. From the larger raptors like the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), the Crested Hawk-Eagle (Spizactus cirrhutus) and Crested serpent Eagle (Spilorrns cheela), many smaller birds like the grassland Warblers (Sylviinae spc.), Flycatchers (Muscicapinae sps.), Bee-eaters (Meropidae sps.), Minivets (Pericrocotus sps.), brilliantly coloured Indian Roller or Blue Jay (Coracias bengalensis), Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) , Black stork (Cicinia nigra), Barbets, Nuthatchers, so many kinds of Woodpeckers and the Kingfishers are resident species of Kanha. In the drier months and during monsoon time, the forest resounds with the call of the Hawk Cuckoo or Brainfever bird (Cuculus varius). Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus), the ancestor of the common village hen makes its appearance in these forests as south of Vindhyas GreyJungle Fowl (Gallus sonerati) is seen instead of this. The Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), the national bird is commonly seen. The display of the male is breathtaking but as it occurs in the rainy season, one can't see that in this park. In the evenings one can see the Franklin's Nightjar (Coprimulgus affinis) sitting motionless in the middle of the path and takes off only when the vehicle goes very close. The evenings also echo with the calls of Jungle Owlet (Glaucidiuns radiatum), the Scops Owl (Otus scops) and occasionally the Great Horned Owl (Bubo bubo). In the drier months the lilting call of the Whistling Thrush (Myiophonus horsfieldii) is really melodious. Truly the park is a birdwatchers delight. Among the snakes, the largest and the one mostly seen here is the Indian Python (Python molurus), other nonvenomous snakes are the Dhaman or Rat snake (Ptyas mucosus) - similar to Indian Cobra in appearance and the Wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus). Among the venomous snakes the common ones are Indian Cobra (Naja naja) and the Saw Scaled viper (Echis carinatus). The Indian Marsh Crocodile (Crocodilus palustris) and the common Indian Monitor Lizard (Varanus monitor) are among the bigger reptiles found here. Butterflies including the Blue Mormon (Princeps polymiestor), Blue Oakleaf (Kallima horsfieldi), Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis), the Nawab (Polyura athamas athamas) are few of the attractive butterflies. Giant Wood spider, Signature spider, Wolf spider are some of the common spider species.

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

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

General Info / Tips
Visitors are advised to reach the gate half an hour in advance to complete the formalities for entry into the park.

Tourist Information Centres :
1. The Manager, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd., Log Hut, Kisli, Bhopal.
2. The Field Director, Project Tiger, Kanha Tiger Reserve, Mandla - 481661.

Krishna Jungle Resort, Kanha
Kanha Jungle Resort is located near the village of Mocha, which is considered the buffer zone of Kanha National Park. Being close to the entrance of the park, this resot provides a pretty good opportunities to wildlife enthusiasts to enjoy the wilds of Kanha.

Accommodation Facilities
There are 17 Twin-bedded cottages with attached bathrooms are available with hot and cold showers.

Food Services
Culinaty delights of Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine can be enjoyed at the resorts 'Banjar' restaurant.

Sports & Leisure Activites
» Swimming pool
» Billiards
» Wildlife trekking and jeep safari inside the park with in-house naturalist.
» Elephant Rides.
» Wildlife film shows.
» Nature trails.
» Sightseeing tours to the nearby village and other places.
» Bird Watching.
» Picnic to Bokardhara
» Visit to Suphkar forest bungalow
» Picnic on the banks of river Banjar
» Bar-be-que dinners and folk dance by nights.

The Wild Chalet Resort, Kanha
The Wild Chalet resort resort is located on the banks of river Banjar providing a good opportunity for the wildlife enthusiasts to enjoy the leisure of the wild backdrop.

Accommodation Facilities
The resort lodging provisions include 16 twin-bedded rooms with attached bathrooms, and hot and cold shower facilities.

Food & Drinks Services
The resort restaurant serve all the delicious delicacies of Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine. The resort bar serves both Indian & imported spirits.

Sports & Leisure Activites
» Wildlife tracking and jungle visits in jeeps with in-house naturalist.
» Elephant rides
» Wildlife film shows
» Nature trails
» Sightseeing tours to the nearby village and other places
» Bird Watching
» Picnic trips to Bokardhara
» Visit to Suphkar forest bungalow.
» Picnic arrangements on the banks of river Banjar
» Bar-be-que dinners and folk dance entertainment at night.

Kisli has a restaurant and a canteen. The restaurant serves both Indian and western food. The canteen is cheaper, serving reasonably-priced table d' hote meals and snacks. The Kanha Safari Lodge at Mukki is served by a multi-cuisine restaurant