KANHA NATIONAL PARK

Area : 1,945 sq km 
Altitude : 600-900 m above sea level

Kanha National Park Situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque Kanha National Park was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The romance of the Kanha National Park has not reduced over time-it is still as beautiful.

Best time to visit: The climate of this region is tropical. Summers are hot and humid with a maximum and minimum temperature of 40.6°C and 23.9°C. Winters are pleasant with an average maximum and minimum temperature of 23.9°C and 11.1°C, respectively. The annual average rainfall is 152 cm. The park is closed from July to mid-November during monsoon.

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.

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

About kanha

Kanha National Park, which is one of the most well known tiger reserves worldwide, is located among the Banjar and Halon valleys in the Mandla / Balaghat districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It's creation took place among, and after, a lot of turbulence and storm within concerned circles regarding rampant killing of wildlife in the area at the time. The central Kanha valley was declared a sanctuary way back in 1933 but got it's status as a National Park in 1955. It covers a large area of 1,945 square kilometers, out of which 940 square kilometers form the main park. The altitude of the park ranges from 450 meters to 900 meters above sea level. The temperature, depending on the season, ranges from 0 degrees in the winters to 48 degrees in the summers. The park remains open from the 01st of November to the 30th of June. Sometimes, as with most parks of the country, it can be closed earlier if the monsoon season arrives sooner than expected. The park has a heavy monsoon season with an average annual rainfall of 1600mm. The basic infrastructure at the park is well developed and visits can "mostly" be expected to pass without any problems.

Kanha is also famous for it's animal conservation efforts made in collaboration and cooperation with the local resident communities. One of the famous success stories of the park is the survival of the Barasingha population in the park, which went down to as low as 66 animals in 1970 from the earlier 3000 and which through huge efforts have now revived to a respectable number of around 1000. Kanha boasts of many such success stories of which this is only an example.

What to See?

Forest Department guides accompany visitors around the park on mapped-out circuits which enable viewers to see a good cross-section of Kanha's wildlife. The best areas are the meadows around Kanha, where blackbuck, chital and barasingha can be seen throughout the day.

Bamni Dadar: Known as Sunset Point, this is one of the most beautiful areas of the parlc, from where a spectacular sunset can hc watched. The dense Kanha's forests can best be seen from here. Animals that can be sighted around this point are typical of the mixed forest zone: sambar, barking deer, gaur and the four horned antelope.

Mammalian Species: Kanha has some 22 species of mammals. Those most easily spotted are the striped palmsquirrel, common langur, jackal, wild pig, chital or spotted deer, barasingha or swamp deer, samhar and hlackbuck.

Less commonly seen species are: tiger, dhole or Indian wild dog, barking deer and Indian bison or gaur. Patient watching shoulcl reward the visitor with a sight of: Indian fox, sloth bear, striped hyena, jungle cat, panther, mouse deer, chausingha or four-horned antelope, nilgai, Hardground Barasingha is found only at Kanha. Chital and porcupine.

Very rarely seen are: wolf, which lives in the far east of the park; chinkara, to be found outside the park's northern boundary; Indian pangolin, the smooth Indian otter and the small Indian civet.

Avian Species: Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers should station themselves in the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbour many species, and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can be seen near the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is frequented by wafer birds and the area in front of the museum. The sal forests do not normally yield a sight of Kanha's avifauna. Early mornings and late afternoons are best for bird watching; binoculars are an invaluable aid to the watcher.

Commonly seen species include: cattle egret, pond heron, black ibis, common peafowl, crested serpent, racket tailed drongo,hawk eagle and red-wattled lapwing; various species of flycatcher, woodpecker , pigeon, dove, parakeet, babbler and mynah;Indian roller, white-breasted kingfisher and grey hornbill.

Jeep and Elephant Hire : MPSTDC jeeps are available on hire for touring the park. Elephants are used for tiger-tracking and should a tiger be located, the elephant can take visitors to the site.

For jeep hire, see the MPSTDC Manager, at the Baghira Log Huts, Kisli and Kanha Safari Lodge, Mukki. Bookings for a morning run should be made the previous day. Please bear in mind that jeeps are not always available during peak visiting periods.