Kanha Tiger Reserve - Wildlife Safari

Kanha National Park also referred to as Kanha tiger reserve is among the most popular wildlife safari park in India. It is situated in the state Madhya Pradesh in Central India.

Kanha along with Bandhavgarh has the highest population of wild tigers in India. Therefore it is visited most by tourists who are interested in tiger sighting. Both parks offer spectacular wildlife safaris. Kanha has large population of mammals and birds. Reptilian species are also interesting but difficult to see as they are secretive and nocturnal by habit.

Kanha has over two hundred and fifty bird species which includes migratory birds. Birders prefer to visit Kanha in winters as migrants add to the checklist then.

Tiger safari at this National Park is a two way affair, one in the early morning and the other in the evening. The easily sighted animals are spotted deer, langurs, sambar deer, wild boar, barking deer and the hard ground barasingha or the swamp deer.

Tigers are quite easily seen with little bit of luck and skilled tracking. But animals like panther or leopard, sloth bear and wild dogs need greater amount of luck and tracking skill to locate them. Tigers are also located with the help of trained elephants. The expert mahouts or riders look for tell tale signs like pug marks, calls and scat to track the tigers. Once the tiger is located the tourists are taken on elephant's back to the spot where the tiger is resting.

There are many resorts and lodges at Kanha Tiger Reserve which cater to the ever increasing number of tourists. Most of the resorts are economical, but there are luxury hotels which charge the nose.

The off season starts after January when the holiday season end and the tourist rush gets over. During peak season accommodation at Kanha has to be booked months in advance, but in the off season getting accommodation is not very difficult.

Kanha is about one hundred fifty kilometers from Jabalpur city which is connected by air and rail with New Delhi.