What to Know about the History of Kanha National Park?

Kanha National Park was basically the land of the Gondwanas. The Kanha Tiger Reserve forest was actually inhibited by two of the indigenous tribes in Central India, the Baigas and Gonds. The reserve is occupied by the villagers of such tribes. Located in Balaghat and Mandla districts, Kanha Tiger Reserve is well occupied by Banjar and Hallon Sanctuaries, spanning over 250 sq. km and 300 sq. km and it forms the total land of 1949 sq. km.

The forest was ruled by the Gond dynasty in 1800s since centuries and it was known since the burn and slash cultivation methods of both Gond and Baiga tribes. They had deep knowledge about animals as well as their behaviors. During the 19^th century, 1862 marks an epic year when government implemented the first forest management rules and cutting tree species like Teak, Sal, Shisham, Saja etc. were restricted without authorization.

The period from 1857 to 1871 had a great importance as Capt. J. Forsyth written “The Highlands of Central India” classic book and Kanha Tiger Reserve India came into existence. In 1879, it was announced as a reserve forest.  Year 1880 was known as the British Era and this region became more valuable when provinces were made the imaginations for Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”.

In 1933, Kanha forest became a sanctuary officially. But the Vijanagaram’s king shot 30 tigers in the forest reserve from 1947 to 1951. But the period from 1955 to 1975 introduced another national park to the forefront in conservation and wildlife research approaches. In the early 1990s, the features of Kanha Tiger Reserves have been improved, such as expansion of infrastructure, biodiversity, and the enviable record for research purpose. Kanha Tiger Reserve has also been awarded by the Department of Tourism as the Top National Park in India in 2000. Visit:  http://kanha.net/tiger-land-safari/