Kanha National Park is the region that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write his unforgettable classic, Jungle Book. The romance of the Kanha National Park has not reduced over time-it is still as beautiful. The same abundance of wildlife species exists today in Kanha National Park, which forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The park is the only habitat of the rare hard ground barasingha. 

In Madhya Pradesh, one can see the forests immortalized by Rudyard Kipling in his Jungle Book - the home of Balu, Bagheera and Mowgli. Two National Parks here, preserve pockets of what were once splendid forests that extended across Central India.

Near Kanha National Park is Bamni Dadar visited by every tourist who comes to the national park. This place is also known as the sunset point. The Kanha National Park is at it scenic best at this point. The sunset from this spot is mesmerizing. The eminent natural splendor of the park comes to the fore here. The grazing sambhar, barking deer, gaurs, and other animals make the ambience magical. 

Kanha Museum

There is a museum at Kanha national park, depicting  attributes and activities of the park and the tribal culture of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Air: Nagpur at 266-kms is the nearest Airport to visit Kanha National Park and is connected by various domestic airline services with Mumbai. 

Rail: Jabalpur at 169-kms is the convenient rail head to visit Kanha. 

Road: Kanha National Park is connected by road with Jabalpur 175-kms, Khajuraho 445-kms, Nagpur 266-kms, Mukki 25-kms, Raipur 219-kms. Within the park: Koshi - Kanha (9-kms), Kishi - Katia (4-kms), Kishi - Mukki (32-kms). There are regular to and fro bus service available from Jabalpur to Kanha.

 Climate

Min. 40.6°C Max. 11.1°C 

The climate of this region is tropical. Summers are hot and humid with a maximum and minimum temperature of 40.6°C and 23.9°C. Winters are pleasant with an average maximum and minimum temperature of 23.9°C and 11.1°C, respectively. The annual average rainfall is 152 cm. The park is closed from July to mid-November during monsoon. 

Major Wildlife Attractions of Kanha

The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, more pictures.... barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, tiger, and leopard.

The birds species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers. 

However, if one animal species were to represent Kanha, it would probably be the barasingha, or the swamp deer. The barasinghas at Kanha are unique, being the hard ground variety, which populate the large open tracts of grass amidst the forests of teak and bamboo. Twenty years ago, the barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate measures including the fencing-off of some animals helped save them and again the air in Kanha bugle with their rutting calls. 

The open meadows during the cold winter months are usually teeming with barasinghas and there is plenty of tiger activity around the fringes. A female with two small cubs would circle around at least two or three times during the day and the swamp deer would go berserk, their husky alarm calls ringing through the jungle. Far from being the cunning, smart aleck, portrayed in Disney's adaptation of the Jungle Book, the real "Sher Khan" is true blue-blooded royalty. 

There is a museum at Kanha depicting attributes and activities of the park and tribal culture. It is closed every Wednesday.