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Kanha National Park tucked away in the Eastern part of the Central-Indian Satpura Range, Kanha is one of the oldest and best-known parks of India. Legendary for its wilderness and tiger sightings, the reserve was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling, who set his 1894 Jungle Book adventure of Mowgli (the Wolf Boy) in these very forests. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the world's premier conservation institute, have rated Kanha as the best managed park in Asia.
It was here that eminent American zoologist George Schaller undertook the first ever, scientific, field study of the tiger in the 1960s. 'The Deer and the Tiger', Schaller's detailed account of the ecology and behavior of Kanha's Bengal tigers and four prey species of hoofed mammals, is an inspiration for all naturalists.
Immensely rich in game, Kanha has the distinction of harbouring the last of the highly endangered Hard Ground Barasingha. The vast size of the park makes extended explorations possible and Kanha is a favourite with photographers for its sheer quality of wildlife viewing. Tiger sightings are frequent and meadows abound with large herds of Chital and Barasingha. The park is also a good place to see the Leopard, Sloth Bear, Dhole (Asiatic Wild Dog) and Gaur (Indian Bison).
Fauna:
The predators at Kanha national park are the Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, Striped Hyena and the Indian Wild Dog. The lesser predators include the Indian Fox, Common Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Jackal, Common and Ruddy Mongoose. The prey species also include Sambar, Chital, Blackbuck, Nilgai, Chousingha and Barking Deer. Primates include the Common Langur and Rhesus Macaque. Other mammals found here are the Sloth Bear, Indian Bison, Jungle Cat, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Indian Flying Fox, Fulvous Fruit Bat, Crested Porcupine and Pangolin.
The bird count is equally impressive, with over 300 species including the Pheasant-tailed Jacana, White-eyed Buzzard, Long-billed Vulture, Pied Harrier, Laggar Falcon, Orange headed Thrush, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Greater Coucal, Brown-Capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Eurasian Thick-knee, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Red Avadavat, Paradise Flycatcher, Spot-Bellied Eagle Owl and the Indian Pitta.
Flora:
The vegetation comprises of dry woodland on hill tops interspersed with dense forests and grassy expanses at lower elevations. Sal (shorea robusta) is the dominant tree in the meadows and bamboo is more common in the higher slopes and on the hills.
Fact sheet:
State : Madhya Pradesh Area : 1945 sq. km (Combining Core and buffer forest) Altitude : 500 to 1000 m above mean sea level Vegetation : Tropical moist deciduous, dry deciduous and grassy meadows Water resources : Suklum and Banjar and other small rain fed streams Winter : November to mid-February Summer : April to mid-June Monsoon : June to October Rainfall : 1224 mm Temperature : Min 1 °C - Max 40 °C
