Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park is nestled within the Maikal range of the Satpuras in Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India, forming the central Indian highlands. This national park is renowned as a Tiger reserve and is recognized as one of the world's finest wildlife areas. Spanning across the Mandla and Kalaghat revenue districts, Kanha was declared a reserve forest in 1879, designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1933, and elevated to the status of a national park in 1955. Covering 940 sq km within the Maikal chain of hills, and when considering both its buffer and core zones, the Kanha Tiger Reserve encompasses a total area of 1945 sq km. Kanha National Park is a sanctuary for a vast array of wildlife, from the majestic tigers to the populous Barasingha, and a myriad of plants, birds, reptiles, and insects.
The land where the Kanha National Park stands today belonged to the Gondwana dynasty, who once ruled the Central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and parts of Maharashtra for the longest time. It wasn't until 1897 that the forest area of Banjar and Hallon valley was declared as a reserved forest which later in 1933 was finally notified as a wildlife sanctuary. The Kanha National Park officially came into existence on June 1, 1955 with the area of the park being only 252 square kilometers at the time. The nearby villages were relocated and more forest land was occupied under the park to create a habitat for its wildlife. Later, the park was declared as a tiger reserve in 1973, with the advent of Project Tiger. Project Tiger was an initiative by the government of India started with the aim of protecting the dwindling population of the Bengal Tigers in the country and to save them from extinction. As a result, nine national parks throughout the country were selected as conservation areas for this species of the big cat with Kanha National Park being one of them.
Kanha National Park is situated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in the Maikal Range which forms the eastern base of the Satpura Range. The park has a total area of 940 square kilometers with a buffer zone of 1134 square kilometers. The park is based along the river valleys of Hallon and Banjar rivers, both a tributary of the river Narmada. The park is at a distance of 160 km from Jabalpur and 280 km from the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra. The exact geographical coordinates of Kanha are: 22.3345° N, 80.6115° E. Kanha National Park is a hot and dry land especially during the summer months of April to June when temperatures can reach an extreme 46 degree celsius. From mid-June to September the state experiences the season of monsoon and receives an average rainfall of 1,800 mm. The winter season causes the park to become cold and misty and occurs between the months of November and February.
Home to more than 200 species of flowering plants and over 70 species of trees, Kanha's forests are a combination of moist deciduous and dry deciduous mixed type trees. The prominent trees of Kanha National Park include the glorious Sal, Bamboo, Teak, Shisham, Saja, and Bija along with meadows, various climbers, herbs, and shrubs along the way. These floras are essential for the survival of the herbivorous animals of the park such as the deer and the antelope which further aid the food chain. Being an important tiger reserve of the country, Kanha National Park is popularly known for its population of the Bengal Tigers and for its deer species of Barasingha also called the Swamp Deer. The park also houses various other animals such as Indian Wild Dogs, Sloth Bear, Indian Leopard, Gaur, Wild Boar, Blue Bull or the Nilgai, and the Chital and the Sambhar species of deer. Kanha also has a number of birds for those interested in bird-watching in the mighty jungle, like the Quail, Red and Gray Jungle Fowl, White-rumped Shama, the magnificent Indian Peafowl, and many different types of Eagles and Vultures.
