Tiger Tours at Kanha National Park

Kanha is also known as Kanha Kisli, it is also known as the land of the tiger. It is home to the hard-ground swamp deer. This deer subspecies now only survive at Kanha National Park. The park is famous for the tiger but also for the saving of the critically endangered swamp deer. From just 66 heads the population now ranges over 500 heads. The credit goes to the Kanha team and George Schaller from the USA.

Kanha is home to over 100 tigers in an area of 2000 sq. km. The core area of the park is 940 sq. km and it is totally inviolate. No human activity except tourism in 20 percent area is allowed. The park is well protected by forest guards whole live in self-sufficient patrolling huts. There are more than 150 patrolling huts spread all over the park. Tourists are not allowed in the rest of the core zone.

Tourism also takes place in the buffer zone which is a multiple-use area. Besides the forest cover, there are human settlements and their farms. They are allowed to rear livestock. No commercial activities are allowed in the park. But there are wildlife resorts in the buffer under strict regulations. Small trade is possible in the buffer but no major commercial activities are permitted. While core zone tourism is limited with restriction on entry of jeeps no such limit exists in the buffer tourism zone at present.

Kanha Wilderness

Kanha is a tiger reserve and a National Park under the aegis of the State Government of Madhya Pradesh. Some tourism policies are advised by the NTCA which stands for National Tiger Conservation Authority. It is a Central Government body that now looks after the affairs of Project Tiger.  

The wild animals found at Kanha National Park are tiger, sloth bear, bison, chital deer, sambar deer, swamp deer, fox, jackal, mouse deer, barking deer, Nilgai, and four-horned antelope. Among the smaller fauna are porcupines, pangolins, jungle cats, civet cats, and wild rats.

There are more than 250 bird species in the park. Among the noted avian species are the white-tailed shama, orange-headed ground thrush, verditor flycatcher, Tickell's blue flycatcher, Tickell's thrush, common grey hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, greenish warbler, Hume's warbler, booted warbler, Graylag geese, bar-headed geese, and more. Some raptors are the crested serpent eagle, honey buzzard, shikra, sparrow hawk, red-necked falcon white-eyed buzzard, and crested hawk eagle.  There are plenty of avians to be seen on tiger safari.

A permit for a tiger safari at Kanha is required. You can book the permits at MPOnline a Government of Madya Pradesh Portal. Since the jeep entity is limited you should book the safari in advance. Another option is to book a tiger safari at the gates subject to availability.