Kanha National Park is a fabulous tiger wilderness, one of India's largest National Parks and one of the first areas in India to be protected under Project Tiger. The park is made up of Sal and Bamboo forests with some open grasslands and the Banjaar River to the South, making the park an ideal habitat for tigers and their prey. Conservation efforts in Kanha have successfully increased the population of swamp deer, which until recently were very close to extinction.
Kanha is one of India’s largest National Parks, covering 1,945 km² in the Maikal Hills of the Satpura range in the south eastern corner of Madhya Pradesh. The Park has beautiful areas of sal forests, large bamboo stretches and lush green meadows.
When Project Tiger was launched to save the tiger populations of India in 1973, Kanha was one of nine reserves selected for the project. It is prime tiger country and is the project’s star success story, making it a wonderful inclusion to any India holiday.
Herds of animals are found in the central parklands, where approximately 22 animal species are regularly spotted, including more unique species such as the three-striped palm squirrel, common langur, jackal, wild pig and black buck. Striped hyena, leopard, mouse deer and porcupine are also spotted here, as are chinkara and ant-eating pangolin. Kanha is home to the highly endangered deer, the hardground barasingha, as well as sambar, chital and gaur. Kanha features approximately 70 tree species and is a bird watcher’s paradise, with over 200 recorded bird species.
