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There are plenty of activity options opened for you within the Indian
Wild life Sanctuaries and they are not just restricted to watching
the animals and birds. |
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Home >> Wildlife National Parks India >> Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park
About Kanha National Park
The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided
inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "The Jungle Book". Kanha
National Park located in the Mandla district of 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 hardground 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.
A heightened attraction within the Park is Bamni Dadar. Popularly known
as the Sunset Point, it offers the most awe-inspiring backdrop of the setting
sun against grazing Sambhars and Gaurs, magnifying the natural splendor
of the area. Aside from its diverse wildlife and bird population, the frequent
sightings of Tigers roaming in the wild at Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary remain
the most popular draw.
Wildlife Attractions in Kanha National Park
Barasingha
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 which included the fencing-off
of some animals helped save them and again the air in Kanha bugled with
their rutting calls.
Animal Population
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, tiger, and leopard.
Bird Population
The bird 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.
Safaris
Jeep Safari and Elephant Safari are the two options for spotting wild
animals in the park. The safaris can be enjoyed any time during the day
while the best time for animal spotting is during early morning or late
evening. The safari timings generally are 6 AM to 12 Noon and 3 to 5:30
PM.
While it is essential to take along a park guide on a jeep safari, an
elephant safari is the better option where the mahout or the elephant
driver will be your companion and guide. To get on an Elephant ride, one
has to book a seat for the Tiger show, offered in the mornings.
Other Attractions
Kanha Museum
You can top your visit to the Kanha National Park by visiting the Kanha
Museum, situated inside the park. The museum provides useful information
about varied topics including the topography, park maps, pug marks of various
animals etc, which can enhance your experience of visiting the park.
Raja Rani
Near the visitor centre one can see the stumps of two giant sal trees that
are worshipped daily in the forests. Known as Raja Rani, these trees once
lived in the Kanha National Park.
How to Get There
By Air: Jabalpur is the nearest airport, while Nagpur is
the nearest most convenient airport. Indian Airlines operates daily Delhi-Nagpur
(7:15) and Mumbai-Nagpur (6:40 & 19:40) flights. Jet Airways also has
a daily flight schedule of Mumbai-Nagpur and Delhi-Nagpur.
By Rail: Jabalpur (169 kms/4 hrs) is the nearest railhead.
Daily trains between Delhi and Jabalpur are Mahakoshal Exp. (16:25) and
Gondwana Express (14:30), while Mumbai is connected through the Mahanagari
Exp. (00:10), Rajendra Ngr Exp. (23:40), Kolkata Mail (21:25), LTT RJPB
Exp. (22:10) and Gorakhpur Express (6:35). Other major trains plying to
Jabalpur include Sanghamitra Exp. (Bangalore-Jabalpur, 6:57, Tue & Fri)
and Varanasi Exp. (Chennai-Jabalpur, 17:30, Mon & Sat).
By Road: There are regular to and fro bus services available
from Jabalpur to Kanha. Cars can be hired from all the nearby towns to reach
Kanha, the choice should however be an all terrain 4 wheel petrol vehicle.
The drive from Nagpur to Kisli takes around 6 hours by car. The travel up
to Seoni (130 km) on the Jabalpur National Highway is a smooth drive. From
Seoni, take a right turn to Keolari, Nainpur and Chiraidongri to finally
reach the Kisli gate of the park. Alternately, to reach the Mukki gate,
divert away from Seoni through Balaghat and Boihar. Another option is the
drive from Jabalpur (well connected by train to major Indian cities) via
Tikaria and Mandla. To reach the park from Nagpur, take the NH6 to Bhandara.
From there state roads lead to Kanha (Mukki) via Balaghat and Baihar.
Local Transport: The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development
Corporation (MPSTDC) operates a Jeep Service for visitors to go around in
the park. Advance bookings can be made through the Manager, MPSTDC, Log
huts, Kisli. Wild Chalet Resorts at Village Mocha, Kanha can also arrange
for local sightseeing.
Distances from Major Cities
Nagpur : 266 km
Khajuraho : 445 km
Delhi : 940 km (SE)
Mumbai : 870 km
Bhopal : 480 km (SE)
Nagpur : 270 km (NE)
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