State : Madhya Pradesh Area details
Total Area : 1945 sq. kms./ 94,000 hectares of national park.


Everyone we know wants to see a tiger. Not in a circus: not in a zoo; not even, for that matter a tiger corralled in the vast acres of a safari park, although that's better than not seeing a tiger at all! The best, and by far the most thrilling, way to see a tiger is to come across it when it is free to roam the wilderness of its natural habitat: the fields and forests of India. We've seen wild tigers in many places in our land but nowhere have we seen them as often, and as regularly as in Kanha National Park.

This park is situated in the heart of Sal forests of the Central high lands of Mandla and Balaghat districts. It covers 940sq.km in area. It was set up in 1995. The nearest town Mandla is 65 km, Jabalpur which is160 km from the park is both rail head as well as air port; Nagpur is 270 km from the park.

Kanha National Park is Kipling country and the nearby forests were the setting for the "Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. It's an outstanding national park and wildlife reserve of Central India, noted for its last remaining population of the hard-ground race of the Swamp Deer (approximately 380). Spotting wild animals is always a matter of luck, but Kanha is so rich in wildlife that the odds are titled in your favour. Most people are keener to meet Kanha's most famous citizen: the Tiger. Thereare a healthy numbers of the Tiger found over here, which may be seen during the day, and is one of the best places left to see them.

This area was initially made a sanctuary in 1955 to protect the magnificent barasingha-swamp deer from extinction There are 175 varieties of birds in Kanha National Park. So if you happen to be bird watcher, look forward to a full spotting itinerary. The terrain inside the park is varied, nonetheless enjoyable. Bamboo forests flow into Sal forests and meadows. The fauna of the park consists of barasingha, cheetal sambar, black duck, barking deer, gaur, hog deer, chausingha, bison, boar, tiger, leopard, hyena and wild dog. It is also the tiger reserve under project tiger. The number of tigers has doubled and barasingha have crossed the 450 mark. There are nearly two hundred bird species such as storks, teals, pintails, egrets, peafowl, partridges, doves, pigeons, cuckoos, eagles, kites, etc

The Topography(Kanha National Park)
Kanha has two main valleys, Halon in the east and Banjar in the west, and the grassy 'maidans' (often old village sites), dotted with clumps of forest harbour large numbers of herbivores. The hills offer support sizeable plateaus (locally called 'Dadars') and the characterized by extensive grasslands and scant trees. These 'Dadars' are much favoured by Gaur and Four-horned Antelope.
The forests are deciduous, the main tree being the Sal, and there are large stands of bamboo. Higher up the slopes the forests tend to become dense and mixed with Haldu and Bija trees. Birds in the park include the Painted Partridge, Shaheen Falcon and Golden Oriole.

Visiting Season (Kanha National Park): Months from November-June are favorable for visitation in the park; still the best period is February-April.


How to Reach
Air : Drive from Jabalpur (6 hours), which is also the nearest airport or from Nagpur (7 hours drive). There are regular air services to Raipur and Nagpur (270 kms) from other airports in India. From these airports one has to drive to the park.

Train : The most convenient railheads for Kanha are Jabalpur and Nagpur. These two are well connected by fast and superfast trains other destinations in India.

By Road :To access the Kanha National Park there are two ways, via Khatia or via Kisli. From Jabalpur there are daily bus services to these places. From Jabalpur, Bilaspur and Raipur one can hire taxis to the park. No vehicles are allowed inside the park after dark so get there before dusk.