As one of India's finest reserves, Jungle that inspired Ruyard Kipling's epic "Jungle Book", Serene wilderness of Tiger country, Home to amazing variety of animals in different habitat, Kanha National Park stands brilliantly in a group of few reserves of gene pool of Indian Flora & Fauna.
The Kanha forest is a unique experience as the rich tree cover interspersed with open grasslands allows for a rich animal population density similar in scope to the animal rich National Parks of Africa. Stretching over 940 sq.kms (363 sq. miles), Kanha promises a unique and satisfying experience. Its forests retain a grandeur of wilderness rarely found elsewhere and is unparalleled with its variety of mammals & birds. It is one of the most well maintained National Parks in Asia & a major attraction for wildlife lovers all over the world. Over the years animals of Kanha have become bolder & more confident, making the park excellent for wildlife viewing and photography.
The park has been in the forefront of efforts to save the Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) & its habitat nearly for a quarter of a century, as one of the original nine reserves developed and planned under Project Tiger - Most ambitious conservation plan in Asia to save Tiger. However, to save Tiger is not a easy task, it means to save its prey, the herbivores. To save the prey means to save all grasses, plants and trees that herbivores feed on. And good vegetation will grow only if the soil is good & sufficient moisture is available. It means preservation of entire forest ecosystem - A delicate web of life.
Project Tiger has yielded remarkable results, from around 48 tigers at the beginning of the Project Tiger, Kanha now boasts around hundred tigers, making it the best place in the world to see tiger. The Kanha National Park also happens to be the sole habitat of the rare hardground Barasingha or Swamp deer (Cervus durauceli branderi) which has been rescued from the very brink of extinction.
The Banjar valley & the Halon valley of erstwhile central provinces in Central India, today's Madhaya pradesh were famous for its rich forests, deer & tiger, even at the turn of the century & were reserved(1879) as exclusive hunting grounds for the most privileged. In 1933 Kanha valley was gazetted as a sanctuary with an area of about 250 sq.kms (96 sq. miles). In 1935 adjoining Halon valley around Supkhar with an area of 300 sq.kms (116 sq. miles) was attached to Kanha with a status of a sanctuary. But within few years, Supkhar sanctuary was denotified, because of extensive deer damage to tree saplings in the forest & crops in nearby villages.
In 1955, Kanha valley was declared as National Park with an area of 250 sq.kms (96 sq. miles), by a special legislation because of the furore that followed a ruthless hunting of 30 tigers, by a privileged shikari (hunter) in the area in and around the Banjar valley & the Halon valley. In 1962, the park was expanded to 318 sq.kms (123 sq. miles). It was further expanded in 1970 by attaching the area south of Mekal ridge & down to the river Banjar raising its area to 446 sq.kms (172 sq. miles).
Finally, Project Tiger integrated the eastern Halon valley in to the park, initially on sanctuary status in 1974 & as a full National Park since 1976. This gave Kanha National Park its present area of 940 sq.kms (363 sq. miles) with an additional buffer area of 1005 sq.kms (388 sq. miles). This total conservation unit encompassing 1945 sq.kms (750 sq. miles) is called Kanha Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
Kanha National Park is situated to south-west of Jabalpur(160 kms.) in the central Indian state of Madhya pradesh. The area of the park lies between longitude 89"-32' to 89"-45' E and lattitude 22"-13' to 22"-27' N.
Kanha National Park lies in the eastern segment of Satpura in the Maikal range, in a elevation range of 1480 to 2950 feet (450-900 meters) above mean sea level. The bauxite-capped hills of basalt have Plateaus, locally called dadar range from 2625 to 2950 feet (800-900 meters), carry extensive grasslands. Underlying rock is volcanic which breaks down into laterite, sand and red gravelly soils with crystalline, graniteic and limestone boulders and black cotton soil in low lying areas. In Banjar valley in Kanha, Kisli & Mukki ranges soil is sandy. In the lower pockets, the soil is finely textured & rich in humus. It tends to be somewhat clayey & is locally called Kanhar. Perhaps the name Kanha, the village after which the park is named, comes from this soil.
The main Maikal range forms the watershed between the rivers Narmada and Mahanadi. Within reserve, it continues west as Bhaisanghat ridge which devides the Narmada catchment between Banjar to the west and Halon to the east. Banjar & Halon form the two main rivers in the park.
From Maikal & Bhaisanghat ridges, a number of spurs branch off to the north & devide the headwaters of Halon in to its tributaries. Near Bamhnidadar 2780 feet (850 meters), the Bhaisanghat ridge splits & the spur running west devides the Banjar catchment in to Bajar & its tributory, the Sulkum.
Kanha has a distinct monsoonal climate. In summer temperature ranges from 43°C max. to 11°C min. Whereas in winter it is between 29°C max. to 2°C min. Winters are severe and frosty.
The southwest monsoon shows its vigour between late June till late September. The maximum rainfall occurs in July & August. The mean annual rainfall is 1225 mm.
The forest in Kanha are mainly Sal (Shorea robusta) & mixed deciduous. The upper slopes carry mixed jungle with numerous climbers, mainly Mahul (Bauhinia vahlaii) covering tree tops.
In the middle renches of the slopes, dense Bamboo(Dendrocalamus strictus) thickets & Mango (Mangifera indica) make an appearance. And in the valleys vegetation mainly comprise of Sal & mixed wood lands. There are three types of grasslands in the park - on the plateau or dadar, in the extensive valleys & along the nalas or bahra(Waterchannels).
The grass on dadar is of natural origin but the growth is generally not thick. However, these areas attract large herds of Gaur (Bos gauras) during rains & early winter. The best grasslands or meadows can be seen in the valleys. Most of these meadows are ecologically recent in the history & owe their origin to clearings in the past for cultivation around settlements, and later relocation of the village sites outside the park.
The bahra are swampy or have a very high water-table during the monsoon. They subject to fires in summer & severe frost during winter, effectively preventing recolonization of these areas by trees.
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.
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.
Barasingha (Cervus durauceli branderi) | The most significant deer species in this forest is the |