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KANHA
NATIONAL
PARK
KANHA
NATIONAL
PARK
and
Tiger
Reserve
is
considered
one
of
Asia's
finest
protected
areas
and
probably
the
best
place
in
the
world
to
see
tigers
in
the
wild.
Tracts
of
Kanha
have
been
a
wildlife
sanctuary
since
1933.
In
1955,
318
sq
km
was
declared
a
National
Park
and
in
1973,
940
sq
kms
became
one
of
the
first
nine
Project
Tiger
Reserves.
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Kanha
was
expanded
in
1976
-
the
National
Park
now
has
a
core
area
of
940
sq
km
and
a
buffer
zone
of
1005
sq
km.
Kanha
is
situated
in
the
Maikal
hills,
in
the
Satpura
range
of
the
central
Indian
highlands,
in
the
State
of
Madhya
Pradesh (22o
17'N, 80o
38'E).
The
land
rises
from
450
to
950
metres
above
sea
level,
and
is
drained
by
tributaries
of
the
Narmada
river.
Mandla
is
65
kms,
and
Jabalpur
160
kms,
from
Kanha.
There
are
four
main
vegetation
types
-
moist
deciduous
forest,
dry
deciduous
forest,
valley
meadow,
and
dadar
meadow.
The
moist
deciduous
forest,
which
covers
27%
of
the
Park
area,
is
dominated
by
sal
trees.
The
forest
is
broken
up
into
grassy
meadows,
the
result
of
early
slash-and-burn
cultivation
by
Baiga
tribals. |
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Seasons
The
winter
months
(November
to
early
March)
are
delightfully
cool
and
dry,
with
the
day
temperature
rarely
going
above
a
comfortable 32oC,
and
the
night
temperature
dipping
as
low
as 2oC
with
occasional
frost.
By
mid
January
most
deciduous
trees
begin
to
shed
their
leaves.
In
early
February,
the
simal
trees
are
covered
in
large
scarlet
flowers.
The
sal
are
soon
covered
in
bright
green,
new
growth.
The
rutting
season
of
the
barasingha
-
one
of
the
rarest
animals
on
earth
-
is
in
December
and
January.
Their
haunting,
bugling
calls
echo
across
the
meadows
and
spectacular
fights
can
be
seen
between
stags.
The
summer
months
(March
to
mid
June)
are
hot
and
dry,
with
temperatures
ranging
from 42oC
in
the
day
to 20oC
at
night.
The
grasses
on
the
meadows
are
pale
and
parched.
The
sal
trees
begin
to
bloom
in
March.
The
rivers
and
nullahs
dry
up
and
the
days
get
hotter
and
hotter.
During
the
summer,
when
water
is
scarce,
the
gaur
descend
from
the
forested
hills
to
feed
around
the
meadows.
This
is
also
the
time
when
a
tiger
census
is
carried
out
by
the
Park
authorities.
Individual
tiger
pugmarks
are
collected,
either
by
tracing
the
pugmarks
using
a
glass
tracer,
or
by
making
a
plaster
cast.
As
soon
as
the
monsoon
breaks
in
mid
to
late
June,
the
Park
is
closed
to
visitors.
Kanha
is
transformed
with
lush
new
growth.
The
rivers
fill
to
bursting
point.
It
is
humid
and
wet
with
temperatures
ranging
from 20o
to 30oC.
Kanha
has
an
annual
rainfall
of
1600
mm
(approx
64
inches)
or
more,
95%
of
which
falls
during
the
monsoon,
from
late
June
to
September.
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