INTRODUCTION

The   lush green   Sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of  Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for    his  famous  novel "Jungle Book". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh   came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve,  created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The Park's landmark achievement          is the preservation of the rare hard ground Swamp Deer (Barasingha),  saving it from near extinction.

Stringent  conservation  programs  for the overall protection of the Park's fauna and flora, makes Kanha one of  the  most well maintained National Parks  in  Asia. The  Kanha   National  Park was  the  inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The romance of the Kanha National Park has not  reduced   over   time-it is still as beautiful. The name Kanha itself may   be  derived  from  kanhar, the local term for the  clayey  soil  in  the valley bottoms, or from   Kanva, a holy man who once lived there in a forest village.

The  soil  is  rich  enough  to  provide  the perfect vegetation for the local areas.  Four  principal  vegetation  types  have  been identified in Kanha: moist  deciduous   forest,  dry  deciduous  forest,  valley    meadow, and plateau meadow.  If one were to point to the middle of India, chances are he will pick out the forests  of  the  Banjar  and  the Halon valley, the two forming the  western  and  eastern  halves  of  the  Kanha Tiger Reserve, which have long been famous for their wide diversity of wildlife.

The  park  was  created  in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated    itself    in   preserving  a  variety  of  animal  species.  Many endangered  species  have  indeed   been  saved  here.  Today Kanha is among   the  few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia. This 'Tiger  Country' is  the  ideal home for both predator and prey. The sun is just up,  and Kanha Meadow shimmers. It is November. Only a few days ago, the park has reopened to the public after four months of rest.

The  monsoon  has  rejuvenated all nature. At the start of a new season, Kanha is  once  again  a  meeting  place,  an  intersection of wildlife and humankind.  The rains have renewed Kanha, and Kanha will now nourish and renew  her guests. A gentle, silvery mist still wraps the great vista of the Meadow in  its  folds. A small party of chital saunters daintily across the road   and  ambles toward Partak Nallah. Last to cross is a majestic stag. Emerging  from the long grass, he stands stock still for a moment, carving a silhouette  against  grasslands and trees, low hills horizon and ghost like sun, offers an invitation.

Geography & Climate

Kanha  National  Park  (which  is  now  officially  known  as Kanha Tiger Reserve) is  located  in  the  Maikal range,  the  eastern  sector  of    the Satpura Hills of the Central Indian Highlands. The park lies 160 km  (100 miles)    southeast of Jabalpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Kanha is 270 km  (170 miles) northeast of the city of Nagpur (Maharashtra), which currently furnishes   the   nearest  air   link to the park (direct flights from Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad, with connections to other cities).

The  exact  geographical  coordinates  of Kanha are as follows. Latitude: 22° 7' to 22° 27'N;   longitude: 80° 26' to 81° 3'E.  Prominent   features of the  park's topography: the Banjar in the west and the Halon in the east. Both these rivers are tributaries of the Narmada, which flows through the district  headquarters town of Mandla, 64 km (40 miles) to the northwest of the  park's  western  entrance.  Kanha's  valleys  are enclosed by hills topped  with  plateaus,  locally  called dadar.  Four  principal   vegetation types  have  been  identified  in  Kanha:   moist   deciduous  forest,   dry deciduous forest, valley meadow, and plateau meadow.

The  main  species  in  moist  deciduous areas (27% of the park area) is the sal tree (Shorea robusta).    Park   headquarters,   located  at Kanha Village  in the park's western block, lies at about 600 m (1,900 ft.) above sea level.  The  plateau  at Bamhni Dadar rises to 870 m, or about 2,900 ft. The  park  is shaped roughly like a figure "8" on its side, with a length from  west  to east of approximately 80 km and a width ranging from 8 to 35 km. The   park   consists   of    a    core   area  of  940  km2,   which is surrounded by a   buffer   zone   of 1,005 km2, thus comprising a total area of 1,945 km2.

The  core area of the park and most of the buffer zone are located in two districts:  Mandla  to  the  west  and Balaghat to the east. In  addition, a small   section   of   the  buffer zone in the southeastern sector is part of Rajnandgaon  District.  There  are  nearly  150 villages in the buffer zone and  over  260  villages  within  a  radius  of   10 km.  For    management purposes, the park is divided   into  5 ranges: Kisli, Kanha, and Mukki in the western block, and Bhaisanghat  and Supkhar in the eastern sector. These latter two ranges are closed off entirely to the public. Within Kisli, Kanha, and Mukki ranges, certain roads   and   areas are also closed to tourists.

The   park   is  served   by  an extensive network (a little over 700 km) of generally  well-maintained roads. By far the most striking features of this region are the open grassy meadows, where sighting blackbuck, swamp deer, sambhar  and  chital  is  common.  And,  if one can transcend into time,  a barefooted Mowgli would perhaps come padding along the dusty trail, for this is  the land of Kipling's Jungle Book. How many of you have seen  a  tiger  before? Most  of  the answers will be ambiguous because everyone  wants  to  see a tiger. Then where can one spot TIGER? Well, even if  there are circuses and zoo's all over India, there's some kind of a thrill  you  experience  when  all  of a sudden you came across a TIGER roaming  freely  in  the  wilderness  of  its  natural  habitat: the fields and forests  of  India.  There  are  numerous  Tiger  reserves in India, that are preserving this ferocious beast, but nowhere can you see them as often, and as regularly as in Kanha National Park.

Major Wildlife Attractions Of Kanha

The main  wildlife  attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha,  barking  deer,  black  deer,  black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear,  jackal, fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, and leopard.

The  birds  species  in  the  park  include  storks,  teals,  pintails,   pond herons, egrets,  peacock,  pea  fowl,  jungle  fowl,  spur fowl, partridges, quails,  ring  doves,  spotted  parakeets,  green  pigeons,  rock pigeons, cuckoos,  papihas,  rollers,  bee-eater,   hoopoes,   drongos,    warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers.

However, if  one  animal  species  were  to  represent  Kanha,  it   would probably be  the  barasingha,  or  the  swamp  deer.  The barasinghas at Kanha  are  unique,  being  the  hard  ground variety, which populate the large  open  tracts  of  grass  amidst  the  forests  of  teak  and bamboo. Twenty  years  ago,  the  barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate  measures  including  the  fencing-off  of some animals helped save  them  and  again the air in Kanha bugle with their rutting calls. The open  meadows  during  the cold winter months are usually teeming with barasinghas  and  there  is  plenty  of  tiger activity around the fringes. A female  with  two  small  cubs  would  circle  around at least two or three times during  the day and the swamp deer would go berserk, their husky alarm calls ringing through the jungle. Far from being the cunning, smart aleck,  portrayed  in  Disney's  adaptation  of   the  Jungle Book, the real "Sher Khan" is true blue-blooded royalty.

SEASONS

The  winter   months  (November to early March) are delightfully cool and dry,  with  the  day  temperature  rarely going above a comfortable 32^oC, and  the  night  temperature dipping as low as 2^oC with occasional frost. By  mid  January  most  deciduous  trees  begin  to shed their leaves. In early  February,   the sisal trees are covered in large scarlet flowers. The Sal  are  soon covered in bright green, new growth. The rutting season of the Barasingha - one of the rarest animals on earth - is in December and January.  Their  haunting,  bugling   calls echo across the meadows and spectacular fights can be seen between stags.

The   summer   months   (March to mid June)  are   hot  and  dry,    with temperatures   ranging     from   42^oC  in  the day to 20^oC at night.   The grasses  on  the  meadows are pale and parched. The Sal trees begin to bloom  in   March.  The rivers and nullahs dry up and the days get hotter and hotter.  During  the  summer,  when  water  is   scarce,   the   gaurs descend from the forested hills to feed around the meadows. This is also the time    when  a   tiger   census is carried out by the Park authorities. Individual   tiger  pugmarks are collected, either by tracing the pugmarks using a glass   tracer,  or  by  making a plaster cast.

As  soon as the monsoon breaks in Mid to late June, the Park is closed to visitors.  Kanha  is  transformed with lush new growth. The rivers fill to bursting point. It is humid and wet with temperatures ranging from 20^o to 30^oC. Kanha has  an   annual    rainfall of 1600 mm (approx 64 inches or more, 95% of which falls  during   the   monsoon,  from     late    June to September.

PARK ENTRY EXCURSION TIMINGS AND FEES

The  Park   is    open    daily   from  1 October   to 30   June,    although management   reserves   the   option   to   close earlier if the rains begin before   the   end  of   June.  The opening hours are scheduled to accord roughly   with   the   seasonal   variations  in climate, as well as with the length   of   the day at different seasons. The visitors to the park are also well   educated  on  the  park  and   the    creatures   living there in there habitats. Our   expedition   leaders know where to look for wildlife, vastly increasing your viewing opportunities.

Enthusiastic     and    knowledgeable,  our   guides    have    educational backgrounds   in  the natural sciences and enjoy explaining the animal’s habits and   life   histories,  as well as how different species interact with their environment. This   provides    education   with entertainment to our visitors to the park.

The opening hours are as follows :

1 November – I5 February - Sunrise to 11 AM. 3 pm to sunset

16 February - 30 April Sunrise to 11 AM. 4 P.M. to sunset

1 May - 30 June Sunrise to 10 AM. 5 P.M. to sunset

These hours   are   subject  to change because of special conditions: for example, heavy rain   showers   may    make   park   roads   temporarily hazardous,  or   official    activities   such   as    census   taking may be scheduled. In practice,  "sunrise" and "sunset" are interpreted as "dawn" and "dusk," with   vehicles   being  admitted at 6:30 A.M., for example, if sunrise occurs at 6:50.   The   gate   attendants tend to be stricter about exit times, since darkness follows sunset quite rapidly at this latitude.

Entry fees and regulations

Entry fees and regulations are as follows:

Park entry for Indian citizens: Rs. 25/-

Park entry for foreigners: Rs. 500/-

Light motor vehicles: Rs. 150/- per vehicle up to 6 persons.

Entry for children below 5 years of age is free.

Permissible capacity of vehicles exclusive of driver and guide is as follows:

Car

Jeep

Minibus

Elephant Joy Rides:

Adult – 100 Rs. Children – (6-12 yrs) – 60 Rs (for Indians)

Adult – 600 Rs. Children – ( 6-12 yrs) – 400 Rs (for foreigners)

Tiger Show, Photography, Still & video Camera

Official notice for direct visitors' points to keep in mind

• Heavy vehicles and diesel vehicles are not allowed inside the park.

• Route guide is compulsory.

• Speed limit is 20 km per hour.

• Use of horn or headlights is not allowed.

• Smoking is forbidden inside the park. Forests are vulnerable to fire, and your negligence may cause a widespread fire.

• Visitors are requested not to use flash for photography.

• Foot trekking is strictly prohibited. Do not get down from your vehicle.

• Do not feed the animals, and keep a safe distance from them.

• Do not carry weapons. You are safe when accompanied by a guide, and hunting is banned.

• Do not throw empty tins, boxes, or other litter.

• Keep strictly to the road.

• Supervise young children closely at all times.

• Try to blend with the surroundings. Avoid wearing colors that jar, Wear cottons, but bring woollens as well, as early mornings and evenings can be chilly, especially in a moving jeep and in the cool season. Try not to wear loud colors.

•  Do not blow horn, play music, or make loud noises.

Forest Department guides   accompany   visitors    around   the  park on mapped-out circuits which enable viewers to see a good cross-section of Kanha's wildlife.  The best areas are the meadows around Kanha, where blackbuck, chital  and  barasingha  can be seen throughout the day. The Kanha   Museum,  located   at   park   headquarters  in  Kanha   Village, contains fascinating,   well-conceived   exhibits   relating   to  the   entire ecosystem   and   its  fauna and flora. The museum complex consists of six rooms   distributed  between two buildings. The museum opens daily at 7 A.M. and remains accessible to visitors during park excursion hours throughout the day.

MORE ANIMAL TALK ABOUT KANHA

Mammalian Species: Kanha  has   some 22 species of mammals. Those most  easily spotted are the   striped palm   squirrel,   common   langur, jackal, wild pig,   chital   or   spotted deer,   barasingha  or swamp deer, sambar and  blackbuck. Less commonly seen species are: Tiger, Indian hare, dhole or    Indian   wild  dog, barking deer and Indian bison or gaur. Patient watching should  reward   the  visitor  with   a sight of: Indian fox, sloth   bear, striped hyena, jungle cat, leopard, Mouse deer, chausingha or four-horned  antelope,  nilgai,  ratel  and   porcupine.

Very  rarely seen are: Wolf,  which   lives  in   the  far  east  of  the  park; chinkara, to  be  found   outside  the   park's   northern  boundary; Indian pangolin, the smooth Indian otter and the small Indian civet.

Avian   Species: Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers should station   themselves   in   the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbour   many  species, and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can   be  seen near the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is  frequented by water birds and the area in front of the museum.The sal forests do not normally yield a sight of Kanha's avifauna. Early mornings and late  afternoons   are   best   for   birdwatching;   binoculars    are an invaluable aid to the watcher.

Commonly   seen   species  include:   cattle egret, pond heron, black ibis, common   peafowl,   crested   serpent   eagle, rackettailed drongo, hawk eagle    and       red-wattled  lapwing;   various   species   of   flycatcher, woodpecker,    pigeon, dove, parakeet, babbler and mynah; Indian roller, white-breasted kingfisher and grey hornbill.

JEEP AND ELEPHANT HIRE MPSTDC

Jeeps are available on   hire   for touring the park. Elephants are used for tiger-tracking   and   should   a   tiger  be located, the elephant can take visitors   to  the  site.  For  jeep  hire,   see  the resort’s Manager, at the earliest,  bookings  for  a  morning run should be made the previous day. Please  bear  in   mind   that  jeeps are not always available during peak visiting period, unless booked in advance.

MONEY MATTERS

There  is NO FACILITY FOR ENCASHING TRAVELLER'S CHEQUES at Kisli   or   Mukki -   the   nearest bank dealing in foreign exchange is the State Bank at BAIHAR

How to Reach

Khatia   (3 km from Kisli) and Mukki are the two main entry points to the Kanha   National   Park.  From Jabalpur, Kisli is 165 km via Chiraidongri, and Mukki is 203 km via Motinala and Garhi. For travellers from Bilaspur (182 km),   Raipur  (213 km)  and   Balaghat   (83 km),   Mukki on State Highway   No. 26  is  more   convenient  from Nagpur, Kisli is 259 km via Nainpur   and   Chiraidongri,   and   Mukki   is  289 km via Balaghat. For travelers   going  from Raipur to Mukki they travel through the beautiful & enchanting supkhar and bhaisanghat range of the Kanha national park.