India's Spectacular Kanha National Park

[Nature Safari India]

Nestled in the eastern part of the Satpura mountain range, Kanha is not just a place to visit. It is to be lived, felt and enjoyed. It is the land of George Schaller’s ‘The Deer and The Tiger.’

Kanha is spectacular no matter when you visit it. Driving on tracks lined by tall Sal trees, the scene in front of your eyes occasionally changes into open meadows, bamboo-clad slopes or of dense mixed forest. A number of bubbly water holes and seasonal streams give the landscape a pictorial quality.

And by far the biggest thrill? The tiger can be anywhere for you to safely view it – walking boldly on the main track, stalking a deer in the meadow or stealthily walking through a dry stream bed.

Within an area of 940 sq km of core forest and 1009 sq km of buffer forest around it, Kanha has an estimated population of 50-60 adult tigers. This is a fairly healthy number since each tiger occupies quite a large territory. The tiger in Kanha co-exists with two other large predators- the leopard and the wild dogs which are an absolute treat to watch if sighted.

Facts about Kanha National Park

Area:   2051 sq. km- Core 940 sq. km 1134 sq. km of buffer forest
Co-ordinates:   Latitude: 22° 7′ to 22° 27’N; longitude: 80° 26′ to 81° 3’E.
Park Opens:   From 1st Oct to 30th June
Weekly Off:   Wednesday afternoon
Full Day Off:   Holi, Diwali
Closest Airports:   Jabalpur (200 km), Nagpur (275 km) and Raipur (220 km)
Closest Railheads:   Gondia (135 km), Jabalpur (200 km), Nagpur (275 km), Raipur (210 km) and Bilaspur (200 km).