Jungle Safari's
Kanha National Park-the core imaginative platform and the source of inspiration for the famous writer Rudyard Kipling for his notable novel, "the Jungle Book"; has a different and impressive image in the eye of nature lovers. The most preferred zone for tiger tour, the Kanha Tiger Reserve is the first national park and the tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The park has the significant population of wild species including Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear, Barasingha and Indian wild dog.
Location:
Located in the Mandala and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, the park was earlier divided into two sanctuaries namely Hallon and Banjar with an area of 250 sq km and 300 sq km respectively till 1933. Later the park was christened into Kanha National Park on June1, 1955. It is now being stretched into the regions of 1067 km including the buffer zone along with the neighboring Phen Sanctuary of 110 km to form the Kanha Tiger Reserve in 1974.
Geographical Information
Kanha is the largest national park in central India and is famously being called the Wild Magic. Kanha Reserve is being located in the Maikal range forming the eastern base of the triangular Satpura ranges. It lies 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Jabalpur and 270 km (170 miles) northeast of the city of Nagpur (Maharashtra)Geographically Kanha Reserve is the fantastic location in the central Indian highlands with latitude: 22' 7' to 22' 27'N and longitude: 80' 26' to 81' 3'E.
Different Zones of Kanha
The park has been divided into 6 ranges for better management in the vicinity that comprises of Kisli, Kanha,Sarhi and Mukki in the western block; and Bhaisanghat and Supkhar in the eastern sector which remain closed for the public.
Flora and Fauna:
Although the whole Madhya Pradesh is being widely known for the lush dense forests but Kanha Park alone brings the wholesome effects of greenery in its vast vicinity. Interestingly, it's a perfect destination for over 200 species of flowering plants and is a low land forest to bring a mixture of Sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees, mingled with meadows. The moderate and favorable climate and varied topography supports the growth of a rich and varied flora in the Park. Over 70 species of trees are found in Kanha.
The largest reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Kanha is the perfect abode for different herbivorous and carnivorous animals. The wildlife lovers can find the ample amount of distinct species of wild creatures in the vicinity in abundance. The reserve is also the perfect habitat for the most endangered species the Indian tigers and the Swamp Deer, Barasingha. Barasingha is often referred as the jewel of Kanha due to its abundant presence in the area. Along with that different species of mammalians, reptiles, fishes and birds can also be found here. It is to be noted that there are around 300 species of avi-faunas that can be found in the reserve area, a perfect destination for the ornithologists.
Types of Forest Area in Kanha
The central highlands of Kanha are normally tropical moist dry deciduous type but still one can find the variation in its types as:
Climate in Kanha
With remarkable variations in climate, Kanha brings the tropical condition and the summer temperatures exceed up to 43C. Monsoons are heavy during June to September and the rest of the season remains beautiful and pleasant in the months of October to March.
Travel Info:
By Road : one can get easy access to the reserve directly through the major nearby destinations like Nagpur, Jabalpur, Raipur, Bilaspur or Bhilai.
By Train : The Nearest Railway Stations for accessing Kanha National Park is Gondia & Jabalpur. Gondia railway station is 145kms / 03:00 hrs drive from Kanha (Khatia Entrance Gate). Jabalpur railway station is 160kms / 04:00 hrs drive from Kanha (Mukki Entrance Gate)
By Air : The Nearest Airport for Kanha National Park are Jabalpur 160 Kms, Raipur 250 Kms & Nagpur 300 Kms.
Best Season:
The best season to throng at Kanha National Park is between mid of October till the last months of June.