Kanha National Park

Before the turn of the last century a young man visited Madhya Pradesh and took away memories of the forest which would shape the way that countless generations saw the landscape of India. That young man was Rudyard Kipling, the author of the Jungle Book.

Kanha National Park is Kipling country through and through. Situated in the middle of India the park is a vast expanse of sal and bamboo forest sprinkled with meadows and abandoned villages. Standing on sunset point and looking down over the park it is easy to believe that everything you ever imagined about the jungle could be true somewhere in the 1000km2 of Kanha.

Kanha National Park – the Residents

Birds of Kanha - Kanha is justly famous for its large mammals but equally deserving of mention is its birdlife which includes; storks, pond herons, egrets, hoopoes, drongos, ring doves, kingfishers, woodpeckers, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, warblers, green pigeons, rock pigeons, spotted parakeets, cuckoos, rollers, bee-eater, teals, pintails, finches, orioles, owls, fly catchers and papihas.

Bengal Tiger – Panthera Tigris Tigris is one of the world's most common sub species of tiger and is the national animal of India. Kanha National Park makes the perfect hunting ground for tigers because of the high density of prey animals and their suburb camouflage in the low grass or against the forest floor. Some specimens from the breed have been recorded at sizes that rival even those of the Siberian tiger, the largest of the tigers.

Barasingha – the hard footed swamp deer says a lot about the nature of Kanha National Park. In 1970 the hard ground barasingha faced extinction with only 66 animals left in the wild. A barasingha stag's antlers can have up to 20 tines so they are highly valued as game but the destruction of forest land for agriculture contributed more to their decline than poaching. With an increase in investment and protection in the park the barasingha's population has risen again. Wild barasingha are still confined to Kanha National Park but the population now stands at over 1000.

Leopard – Panthera Pardus is the most widely spread of the big cats but this does not make it easier to see. Even at Kanha National Park catching a glimpse of a leopard is a rare occurrence because the cat's distinctive spots and trademark agility allow it to blend into the background almost anywhere within the park. Like their larger cousins the tigers, a leopard's distinctive markings provide a dispersed pattern camouflage which disrupts their outline and makes them all but invisible in the dark.

Please call the number at the top of this page if you would like to learn more about our holidays to India and tours of Kanha National Park.