KANHA TIGER RESERVE
| Every year thousands of visitors come to view Kanha’s
diverse wildlife amongst 940 sq km of sal and bamboo forests, meandering riverines, misty
meadows and grassy plateaus. Here, over 100 tigers roam the jungle in its pristine
wilderness. Wild dog and the elusive leopard are the other two major predators.
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Kanha is home to some 22 Mammal species. Among them are Indian bison - the world’s largest wild cattle, wild boar, jungle cat, jackal, four deer species, three antelope species and the rarely sighted, nocturnal sloth bear. |
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Amongst the deer
species are the hard-ground adapted Barasingha found only at Kanha. In the 1960’s
Barasingha numbers had dropped below forty. A highly successful conservation programme has
brought the population into hundreds, and many are found in the Mukki range, south of the
Reserve. |
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Over 220 species of birds are found including racket-tailed drongos, bee-eaters, crested serpant and hawk eagles, shikras and flycatchers. Waterholes and high plateaus such as Bahmni Dadar are excellent spots for bird watching, and quiet locations to stop and immerse in the natural peace of the jungle. |
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| Kanha lies in the
Maikal hills east of the Satpura range, in an elevation range 450-950m (1480-2950ft). The
area encompasses the Banjar and Halon valleys, which were joined in 1972 to declare Kanha
as one of the first nine Project Tiger Reserves. Traditionally the land was inhabitated by
mainly Baiga and Gond tribes who practiced shift-cultivation. This was stopped in 1870,
and the area was preserved as a hunting ground for the privileged, until the world’s
tiger population had dropped to an alarming figure. |
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| Today Kanha is at the forefront of efforts to save the tiger and its habitat. Part of the Project Tiger programme, involved the relocation of 27 villagers outside of the core area. It is now of prime importance to work fairly with the local people to protect the tiger. This will ultimately preserve the entire eco-system that still thrives in Kanha. |
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Kanha opens twice daily to visitors. Local guides accompany game drives and are provided upon entrance. Jeeps are free to follow their own route along tracks, using pugmarks and alarm calls as indicators of a nearby predator. Every morning, three ranges of elephants and their mahouts are tracking such indicators for tigers. If they are successful, visitors may have the opportunity to view tiger from elephant back. |
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