A
complete delight for all your senses! That’s what the jungles of Kanha
are all about. Tucked away into the Satpura Ranges of Madhya Pradesh, the
Kanha National Park sprawls over an extensive area of around 1,945 sq km,
out of which 940 sq km makes up for the core area. Declared a national park
in the year 1955, the park shelters around 22 species of mammals and more
than 175 species of exotic birds, aside from a good variety of reptiles. So,
whether you decide to take an elephant ride or a jeep safari into the dense
forests, the
Kanha National Park is always ready to make your senses keener
and visions sharper.
Best Time : April to
June/November to January
Entry Fee : Rs 25 (Indians)/ Rs 500 (Foreigners)
Wildlife Species in the Park
The
diversified terrain of the Kanha National Park is home to a number of
mammalian, avian and reptilian species. Bamboo and sal trees predominate a
major portion of the park. First timers need to keep it in mind that they do
not miss the smaller inmates of the park while they are on a safari into the
park. Though the park offers numerous species to see and photograph, the
Swamp deer carry the most marks for their higher density of population.
Besides the tigers of Kanha, wildlife fanciers can spot species including
four horned antelope, black buck, barking deer, barasingha, hyena, leopard,
jungle cat, sambhar, sloth bear and nilgai among others. It is interesting
to note that since the time the park was established, the total count of
Swamp deer in the park have gone up from a mere 66 to a whooping 400.
Not only this, the Kanha National is also known for being home to around
175 exotic species of birds. A good number of migratory birds arrive in the
jungle of Kanha during winters. Other resident bird species that one can
possibly spot here include racket-tailed drongo, teal, common pochard,
crested hawk, magpie robin, long-billed vultures, scavenger vultures, honey
buzzard, crested serpent eagle etc.
What else to see and do?
- Get to Bamni Dadar, an excellent vantage point in the Kanha National
Park. Here, you can feast your eyes upon the impressive views of sunset.
- Also visit the Kanha Museum which is a major draw for visitors to
the Kanha National Park. Here, apart from being informed of the flora
and fauna of the park, you can also have an understanding of the tribal
culture of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Travel (Air/Rail/Road) Information
Those who prefer air-route can first fly to Nagpur (266 km), the closest
airport from the Kanha National Park. Tourists can avail of regular flights
connecting to places like Delhi, Mumbai, Raipur and Kolkata. Jabalpur (175
km) and Gondia (125 km) are two convenient and closely located railway
stations from the national park. By road, the Kanha National Park is
accessible from places like Jabalpur (175 km), Khajuraho (445 km), Nagpur
(266 km), Bandhavgarh (210 km), Raipur (219 km) etc.
Wildlife Lodges/Resorts
Tourists can easily find jungle lodges and resorts in the national park.
These resorts attend to the needs of wildlife lovers and holidaymakers with
all the basic amenities, keeping you close to the wildlife inmates of the
park at the same time.
