Kanha Tiger Reserve has this air of mysterious tranquility
Kanha is the largest national park in Central India with rich biodiversity of trees, flora and fauna. It was created in 1955 and made a tiger reserve in 1973. The park has a significant population of the Royal Bengal tiger, Indian leopards, the sloth bear, barasingha and Indian wild dog. Rudyard Kipling‘s novel The Jungle Book is based on jungles including this reserve.
Light through the trees
The feeling of mysterious tranquility can only be experienced in a forest. Few days at this national park allowed us to soak ourselves in that feeling. The light through thick cover of trees is an eternally enchanting sight. Looking at the trees make you realise that they have been around for a long long time before you appeared on this planet and will continue to be around for a long time after you are gone. Just like the mountains, these trees have the quality of giving you that reality check which many of us need so often.
Flora at Kanha
Flora at Kanha is rich over 1000 species of flowering plants, which contributes to its biodiversity. The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed-forest trees, interspersed with meadows. The highland forests are tropical moist and dry deciduous type.
This national park has plenty of meadows or maidans which are basically open grasslands that have sprung up in fields of abandoned villages, evacuated to make way for the animals. Kanha meadow is one such example. Many species of grass are recorded at Kanha, some of which are important for the survival of barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi) and the gaur (Bos gaurus). Densely forested zones with good crown cover have abundant species of climbers, shrubs, and herbs flourishing in the understory. Aquatic plants in numerous tal (lakes) are life-lines for migratory and wetland species of birds.
Fauna at Kanha
Animals
Fauna at this tiger reserve includes species of tigers, leopards, wild dogs, wild cats, foxes and jackals. Among the deer species, swamp deer or hard-ground barasingha is the pride of the place. The tiger reserve has been instrumental in rescuing the swamp deer from extinction. Indian gaur, belonging to the ox genus, are found in Kanha, but seen mostly as winter ends. In summer, gaur inhabit meadows and waterholes in the park. Other commonly seen animals in the park include the spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, and the four-horned antelope.
Birds
The reserve brings around 300 species of birds and the most commonly seen birds are the black ibis, bee-eaters, cattle egret, blossom-headed parakeets, pond heron, drongos, common teal, crested serpent eagle, grey hornbill, Indian roller, lesser adjutant, little grebes, lesser whistling teal, minivets, pied hornbill, woodpecker, pigeon, paradise flycatchers, mynas, Indian peafowl, red junglefowl, red-wattled lapwing, steppe eagle, Tickell’s blue flycatcher, white-eyed buzzard, white-breasted kingfisher, white-browed fantail, wood shrikes, and warblers, among many more.
Reptiles
Reptiles such as Indian pythons, Indian cobras, krait, rat snakes, vipers, keelbacks, and grass snakes are nocturnal animals, so rarely are seen. Many species of turtles and amphibians are found in or near the water bodies in this national park.
The sheer diversity of flora and fauna at Kanha makes it a rich biodiversity zone.
Source : actual visit and Wikipedia
