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Kanha National Park | Kanha Tiger Reserve in India

Madhya Pradesh

Facts about
Kanha ➝

Key Species in
Kanha➝

Tiger Safari Zones ➝

Reaching Kanha National Park ➝

Weather & Clothing ➝

About Kanha National Park

Located in the scenic Maikal Range of Madhya Pradesh, the Kanha National Park has, for the longest time, been a prime destination for tourists who are enthusiastic about nature and wildlife safaris. The 326 sq. miles stretch of natural beauty makes up for a huge portion of the Mandala and the Kalaghat districts.
Since its conception in 1862, the Kanha National Park has gone on to become a key tiger reserve zone, yet it still holds a significant place for the Barasingha (swamp deer). The dense evergreen forests of Sal trees and crystal clear waterbeds make the trip to this national park an experience straight out of a fairy tale.
In fact the fauna in the park and its wondrous setting served as inspiration for a young Rudyard Kipling, who went on to pen “The Jungle Book”. Kanha is an ideal vacation spot for young families, owing to its numerous camping and picnic hotspots. Don’t forget to pack lightly as you will be trekking to beautiful and pristine locales such as Bammi Dadar – Kanha’s most iconic sunset point
Be it a jeep safari, or even one atop an elephant, a tour across the landscapes of the Kanha National Park will leave you and your loved ones with moments to cherish forever.

Facts about Kanha Tiger Reserve and National Park

Area: 2,051.790 sq. km in which 917.43 sq. km is core zone or critical tiger habitat and 1,134.36 sq. km is buffer zone
Coordinates: Latitudes 22° 03’ 06.8” to 22° 27’ 51.2” N & Longitudes 80° 25’ 43.6” to 81° 07’ 15.7” E
Weekly Off: Wednesday Afternoon Safari
Yearly Off: Holi, Diwali
Functional Days: From 01st Oct to 30th June
Rainfall: 1443mm
Vegetation Types: The major vegetation in Kanha consists of tropical moist deciduous sal forests in the valley, bamboo forests on hill slopes, and tropical mixed deciduous forests on flat-topped plateaus. The grasslands are interspersed with the sal forests in the valley.
Status of Tigers: As per the last census conducted in 2022, there are 129 tigers in and around the reserve, with 105 of them inside.

Key Species of Kanha National Park

tiger walking at Kanha National Park

Mammals

  • Tiger
  • Chital
  • Sambar
  • Hard Ground Barasingha
  • Barking Deer
  • Chousingha
  • Gaur
  • Langur
  • Wild Pig
  • Sloth Bear
Kanha Bird - Scarlet Minivet

Birds

  • Indian Golden Oriole
  • Malabar Pied Hornbill
  • Alexandrine Parakeet
  • Crested Serpent Eagle
  • Green Bee Eater
  • Tickle’s Blue Flycatcher
  • Brahminy Starling
  • Yellow Footed Green Pigeon
  • White Rumped Shama
  • Emerald Dove
Satpura Cobra

Reptiles

  • Python
  • Russel’s Viper
  • Common Krait
  • Indian Cobra
  • Common Rat Snake
  • Common Skink
  • Fan Throated Lizard
  • Indian Garden Lizard
  • Indian Monitor
  • Banded Krait

Safari Zones of Kanha National Park

Typically, every National Park is divided into 3 kinds of zones: Core, Buffer, and Reserved. The core zone is the protected area of the jungle. It acts as a referral point on the natural state of the ecosystems represented by the biosphere reserves. Wildlife and natural resources are strictly protected by the forest department. Here’s a runthrough of all the zones at the Kanha tiger reserve.
KANHA CORE SAFARI ZONES
Core Zones Entrance Gates  (Full Safari) Entrance Gate  (Single Seat Safari)
Kanha Zone Khatia / Mukki / Sarhi Gate Khatia Gate
Mukki Zone Khatia / Mukki Gate Mukki Gate
Kisli Zone Khatia / Mukki / Sarhi Gate Khatia Gate
Sarhi Zone Khatia / Sarhi Gate Sarhi Gate
Kanha National Park - Umarpani Tiger
Kanha National Park - Sambar Female
Kanha national park landscape
While the first three are the most visited zones by tourists, Kanha is termed as the premium zone by the forest Department, fees for which is also higher by 50%. The other three zones too, are known for excellent tiger sightings. This beast co-exists beautifully with two other large predators- the leopard and wild dogs, which are an absolute treat to watch if sighted. 25% of the Core area is open to tourists. This gives us a lot to view and explore. On a typical day, you’d go out on a safari at sunrise with a picnic breakfast, come back to the lodge for lunch and head back out for the afternoon game drive.

Reaching Kanha National Park

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Train

Reaching Kanha by Train is simple too. Trains to Gondia Railway Station – 145 km and Jabalpur Railway Station – 160 km from the park, run from major cities in the country, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc. One can drive to Kanha post this point.
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Flight

Kanha is a jungle, naturally not having an air strip. However, it is well connected to cities in Madhya Pradesh, that do. Jabalpur – 200 kms, Nagpur – 275 kms and Raipur – 210 kms from the park, are all well connected by air with major cities in the country, i.e. New Delhi and Mumbai.
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Road

Kanha is connected to major towns in Madhya Pradesh, that can be travelled to by air or by train.
Jabalpur: At a mere distance of 160 kms, Jabalpur is just a 04 hour drive from the Park.
Raipur: At a mere distance of 250 kms, Raipur is just a 05 hour drive from the Park.
Nagpur: At a mere distance of 300 kms, Nagpur is just a 06-07 hour drive from the Park.

Weather and Clothing

Temperature Chart Kanha national park
❯ DO NOT carry shiny/bright colored clothing. Instead, carry earthy colors like shades of dull green or olive green, beige, and grey. Black is also avoidable as it attracts mosquitos.
❯ Carry comfortable, breathable clothes (cotton) in summer.
❯ Carry layers (4-5) of thin woolen clothes rather than one heavy jacket for winter. Layers are a lot more helpful through the varying temperatures during the day.
❯ Carry a wind cheater/rain coat just in case there is a light shower.
❯ Carry a Cap/Hat during summer.
❯ Avoid wearing strong perfume while on safari. Animals have a strong sense of smell and it may distract them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The National Park is closed for tourism from 1st July till 30th September. To choose which is a good time to visit Kanha depends on a few factors below:
General nature lover anytime from October till June.
For an amateur photographer, from Feb-June.
For a professional photographer, December till February.
For those on holidays and wanting to be here in good weather, months of November, December, February and March are excellent.

Visit off-season, during the hot months of April and May. This is the lesser favourable option for families, but a good one if you are a photographer wanting long sightings of tigers. At this time Tigers are more likely to be spotted close to the waterholes thus giving shutterbugs ample opportunity to take great photos.

No matter when you plan to visit, do so through the capable hands of Tiger Safari India.

Indeed Kanha National Park is definitely worth visiting. When you enter Kanha landscape, you’ve essentially entered “Tiger and Tribal Country”.
Kanha is also a fairytale come to life, as it serves as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling to pen “The Jungle Book”.
This park is a nature lover’s paradise; it offers so many wondrous and adrenaline pumping jungle safaris and walking safaris one can take part in.
Book a trip to tiger safari at Kanha National Park now!

Kanha National Park has 6 major tourism zones. Each zone offers a unique experience to travelers. Overtime the sightings do change depending on tiger movements. In erstwhile years Kanha zone was considered premium, but gradually there has been a shift and currently Mukki zone is the most popular for its density of tigers, in parituclar the males. Also there are several good lodges close to Mukki zone, and MeruVann is one of them offering quality accommodation and a memorable experience.

Kanha National Park hit global recognition after it was revealed to be the source of inspiration for “The Jungle Book”.
Since then, the park has been a common hotspot for wildlife tourism. It offers a plethora of activities for couples, friends and families.

To book a safari tour in Kanha National Park, contact a well renowned and knowledgeable tour operator who is genuinely interested in Kanha and they can set up a custom safari experience as per your requirements.

The best tour operator in India is Tiger Safari India & Nature Safari India Pvt Ltd

As of today, an estimated 120-140 Royal Bengal Tigers are either residents of Kanha or use some zones of Kanha in transit. As I mentioned on our homepage that almost 50% of wild tigers live outside the National Parks, so be it in Kanha.

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