Kanha National Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Kanha National Park
iucn_category = II
location = Madhya Pradesh, India
nearest_city = Mandla
lat_degrees = 22
lat_minutes = 20
lat_seconds = 0
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 80
long_minutes = 38
long_seconds = 0
long_direction = E
area = 940 km²
established = 1955
visitation_num = 1,000
visitation_year = 1989
governing_body = Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh government

Kanha National Park is a national park and a Tiger Reserve in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, India. In the 1930s, Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 km² each. Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955. Today it stretches over an area of 940 km² in the two districts Mandla and Balaghat. Together with a surrounding buffer zone of 1009 km² and the neighboring 110 km² Phen Sanctuary it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve. The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear, Barasingha and Indian wild dog.

Flora

The lowland forest is a mixture of sal ("shorea robusta") and other mixed forest trees, interspersed with meadows. The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature with bamboo on slopes ("dendrocalamus strictus"). A very good looking Indian ghost tree (kullu) can also be seen in the dense.

Kanha Tiger Reserve abounds in meadows or "maidans" which are basically open grasslands that have sprung up in fields of abundant villages, evacuated to make way for the animals. Kanha meadow is one such example. There are many species of grass recorded at Kanha some of which are important for the survival of Barasingha ("Cervus duvauceli branderi"). Dense forested zones with good crown cover has abundant species of climbers, shrubs and herbs flourishing in the understory. Aquatic plants in numerous "tal" (lakes) are life line for migratory and wetland species of birds.

Fauna

There is a large tiger population in the park (131 tigers as on June 2006). The park also has a significant population of leopards, the sloth bear and Indian wild dog ("Cuon alpinus dukhunensis"). The population of leopards is estimated to 80, the wild dogs to 396 and the sloth bears to 111 individuals for the year 2000.A. P. Dwivedi: "Protected Areas of Madhya Pradesh",Government printing Press, Bhopal 2003] Rare Indian wolf ("Canis (lupus) indica") can be found in the far east part of the park.

The most abundant prey species for the large predators is the spotted deer or chital, which number is estimated to about 20000 in the park. The second largest population of deer is that of Sambar ("Cervus Unicolor") which constitutes an important prey base of the tiger. Other commonly observed mammals include the common grey langur (6668 in 2000), wild boar (8534 in 2000), gaur (more than thousand in 2000), sambar (3621 in 2000)A. P. Dwivendi: "Protected Areas of Madhya Pradesh",Government printing Press, Bhopal 2003] and barasingha or swamp deer (this is the hardground swamp deer ("Cervus duvauceli branderi"), found only in Kanha, barely 1200 survive in the wild). Barasingha were only 60 left in this planet when measures were taken to prevent extinction. As of June 2006, the count is around 1200. An attempt to raise the black buck here has failed. The chousingha and the nilgai (blue bull), though rare, can also be found in Kanha.

Other larger mammal species of the park are rhesus macaque, golden jackal, bengal fox, smooth-coated otter, honey badger, small indian civet, indian gray mongoose, ruddy mongoose, striped hyena, jungle cat, leopard cat, indian spotted chevrotain, indian pangolin, indian porcupine und indian hareThe Indian jungle fowl, which is the ancestor of domestic hens, is common.

Transportation & facility

Jabalpur has the nearest Aerodrome (169 K.M.) which is connected with Delhi, Mumbai, and bhopal. Mandla (70 K.M.) is well connected with Kanha,
Mandla has sports clubs, Internet cafes, guides, churches (Catholic + Protestant) and hundreds of beautiful temples around the city.There are two gates for entrance into the forest. The Kisli gate is best accessible from Jabalpur and the second gate is Mukki. The Kisli gate stops at village Khatia which comes inside the buffer area.

General information

* Area: (core) 940 km²
* Terrain: sal and bamboo forests, plateaus, meadows and meandering streams
* Best Season: February to June
* Morning Visiting Hours: Sunrise to 1100Hrs
* Evening Visiting Hours: 1630Hrs to Sunset
* Closed: 1 July to 30 SeptemberThe nearest airport and railhead is at Jabalpur (160 km, 3 hours by road).

References

General References

* K. K. Gurung & Raj Singh: "Field Guide to the Mammals of the Indian Subcontinent", Academic Press, San Diego, ISBN 0-12-309350-3
* A. P. Dwivendi: "Protected Areas of Madhya Pradesh",Government printing Press, Bhopal 2003

External links

Photos

* [http://travel.webshots.com/album/557880001efIMUh Kanha National Park Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sachinrai/sets/72157594478736117/ Kanha National Park Photos on Flickr]

Info on Kanha National Park

* [http://www.wildlifetimes.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=246 Wildlife Times: The Central Indian Tiger Pilgrimage - A trip report]
* [http://www.kanha-national-park.com Kanha National Park]
* [http://www.pgoimages.com/g_india_kanha.php Images from Kanha National Park]
* [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/igcmc/s_sheets/madhaya_/0115v.html UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre] dead link|date=January 2008|url=http://www.unep-wcmc.org/igcmc/s_sheets/madhaya_/0115v.html
* [http://www.mptourism.com/dest/kanha.html Madhya Pradesh State Tourism]
* [http://www.indiatouristspots.com/wildlife/kanha-national-park.html Kanha National Park]
* [http://www.dharssi.org.uk/travel/india/kanha_wildlife_park.html Photos and travel tips for Kanha national park]
* [http://www.ankurverma.ws/thumbnails.php?album=3 Travel Gallery from 2003 Trip]
* [http://www.geocities.com/pateluday/kanha.htm Kanha Tiger Reserve]
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