Kanha Tiger Safari – Explore the Unseen in Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park is definitely a paradise to explore the wildlife species which brings natural habitat. It is the national park which is full of large varieties of fauna species and it is well known for Barasingha or swamp deer and it is well known as the “Jewel of Kanha’. Kanha tiger safari is truly a great choice for nature lovers. When you get to the trip to Kanha Tiger reserve, you will explore the widespread arena of lush green habitat of wildlife creatures. You can enjoy the wonderful encounter with jeep and elephant safari to all such species. You can take a glimpse to the wilderness and wild animals with jungle safari and capture the magnificent images in the cameras.

The jeep need to follow fixed route and leave park by the end of time given. A lot of popular wildlife experts and photographers have photographed and observed the tigers in Kanha National Park during jeep safaris. Jeeps follow their predefined routes without disturbing the animals. You can stay amazed in jeep safaris for the adventure and enjoy the flexibility to explore such places that are hard to reach through other transport modes.

You can enjoy jeep safari two times – one in early morning and other in late afternoon in 6-seater open jeep. Maximum 6 passengers are allowed in each vehicle to travel along with a driver and naturalist. Before you enter into the park, you need to complete some of the important paperwork at entrance about naturalist details, visitor’s details and vehicle details. It takes usually 15 to 20 minutes to complete the formalities. Visitors must drive with care and slowly. At national park, driving is different from highway or city roads. A tiger along the road or deer on the road give more amazing view without interruption than the one which runs away. 

Kanha National Park – The Paradise of Tigers

Located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the picture-perfect Kanha Tiger Reserve India was once the inspiration behind unforgettable classic by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book. The charm of Kanha will always remain the same over time. If you are on the point to the heart of India, there are chances that you will get the glimpse to the forests of Halon and Banjar valleys, forming the eastern and western parts of Kanha Tiger Reserve which have been popular for diversity of wilderness. The park was built in the year 1955 with a special law.  Since then, it has been dedicated to preserve different animal species.

There are several endangered species which have been saved in this national park. Currently Kanha is one of the most beautiful and scenic wildlife reserves in Asia. It is the home to both prey and predators. The best part of this reason by far is the most exciting features are the lush green meadows where swamp deer, sighting blackbuck, chital and sambar is common. If you can travel back in time, you would see the places where barefooted Mowgli once came and paddled along the dusty trails. It is truly the land of Jungle Book.

If you haven’t seen the tiger before, it’s time to witness this mighty creature in its natural habitat. Here, there are many chances that you can spot tiger. You can feel the thrill that you cannot get in zoo and circuses. You may see the tiger roaming in the wilderness of the forests and fields. There is no lack of tiger reserves in the country which are preserving this furious beast. But you cannot see them more often until you are in Kanha National Park.  The park is positioned in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh and extends over 1940 sq. km.

Kanha National Park – Major Wildlife Attractions

Some of the major wildlife attractions in Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh are tiger, gaur, sambar, bison, chital, barking deer, bara-singha, black buck, nilgai, chousingha, sloth bear, mouse deer, porcupine, jackal fox, jungle cat, hyena, pea fowl, python, monkey, hare, mongoose, leopard and tiger.  The park also has bird species like teals, storks, pond herons, pintails, peacock, egrets, jungle fowl, pea fowl, spur fowl, quails, partridges, spotted parakeets, ring doves, rock pigeons, green pigeons, papihas, cuckoos, bee-eater, rollers, drongos, hoopoes, warblers, woodpeckers, kingfishers, orioles, finches, owls and fly-catchers. Barasingha is definitely one of those animal species which represents Kanha. 

The swamp deer are very unique in the jungles of Kanha. They are known to be the hard ground variety which is known to populate large open tracts amidst the forests of bamboo and teak. Around 20 years back, Barasingha was facing extinction. There are some of the desperate measures, such as fencing off some of the animals which helped saves over and over again. There are open meadows teeming with swamp deer in the cold winter and there are lots of tigers roaming around the fringes. A tigress with two little cubs might be roaming for 2 to 3 times throughout the day as well as the swamp deer that would go berserk.

The Sher Khan is actually a blue-blooded royalty which is far from being the smart, cunning aleck, as seen in Disney’s Jungle Book. Kanha also has museum which depicts the activities and attributes of the park as well as tribal culture. The park remains closed every Wednesday. This area receives tropical climate. Summers are usually humid and hot with temperature ranging from 40.6 °C max to 23.9 °C min. In this national park, winters are known to be pleasant with temperature ranging from 23.9 °C max to 11.1°C minimum.

Gone with the Wild

Five in the morning and I was getting ready for Safari in Kanha. It was my seventh safari in various National parks of India and not spotted the tiger. I met Sharad in one of the journeys and heard his jungle stories. So I decided to give Kanha a chance. This morning time always reminds me of stock exchange early in my trading career. I used to get ready to reach my office by 8 am. I came to the meeting point which was under a majestic Saja tree. Saja Tree is sacred to the Gonds tribe of Central India.

We were getting ready for the briefing by Ashwini Ji – General manager of Chitvan Jungle Lodge. He is 55 years and active like a 25 years old. Ask him and he tells you its proximity with nature which keeps him energized throughout the day to run his 14 acre property. He told us few do’s and don’t’s about jungle safari. He also told us that Tigress yesterday was spotted in Kanha zone. He also informed caringly that breakfast is freshly prepared and kept in the safari jeep

It took me back to my manager’s briefing. “Yesterday Market had closed on all time high and today we watch the first hour. If it does not breach yesterday closing then day traders will kick their buys and market will take new highs.” Ashwini ji said, “The tigress was spotted in Kanha with her young ones yesterday and if you see fresh pug marks then chances are that we will spot the tiger.”

Mornings are famous for two things in Kanha – Its sunrise and smiling faces of the hotel staff. We crossed the hotel’s gate and saw the playful herds of leaf monkeys. Sighted couple of Drongos and Crested serpant eagle hovering near the artificial water body created by the villagers in the midway. With in no time we were at the Mukki gate. The freshness of Kanha – I can’t describe to myself so only thing I did was to take a deep breath of jungle air. Fresh Air – which is pervasive but scarce at the same time in our big cities.

Big Sal, Saja and Banyan trees in the surroundings just relaxes you and refreshes your soul. The view of old fallen leaves on damp ground just leave you in trance. My small rendezvous with nature got disturbed when my guide said we are entering the national park. I was calculating in mind that Forest office on our left would be last building to be seen for few hours. And yes …. I was thankful for that.

I was quietly watching the games of the game in Kanha. Some playing near water bodies, some under the trees, some playing hide and seek near the shrubs and bushes. Saw the Hard Ground Bara Singa and my naturalist Sanjay proudly told me the resurgence story of this species in Kanha.

It was more than two hours I was in the jungle and did not realize that time had flown so fast. It was like time I used to spend in front of my trading terminals watching stocks going up and down so fast that value of time gets dissolved without knowing. I used to start at 9 am and before I realized it was closing time 3:30 in the afternoon. I never used to remember if I blinked an eye or not. The exhilaration was when movement of stocks was in your favor and you see your balance clocking few thousand rupees or so.

Now the same time was about to come in the safari and I was about to experience the same exhilaration. It was Deer giving the alarm call and whole forest became alive with it. Sanjay got up and Driver raced towards the spot. It was like unsaid conversation between driver and my naturalist and both understood what was about to happen. I saw changed expression and subdued joy on both their faces – when leaf monkeys (langoors) joined the call. In hushed words he said “Tiger”.

We were next to the firing line in the forest. Tigress looked at us and looked behind. Three cubs came out like decent kids all dressed for a party. That was exhilarating, ecstatic, electrifying, exciting and enticing for me to see mother tigress and her cubs in the wild.

She lied down in the grass, half in shade and half in sun. Cubs beautifully started playing with her paws, face, and neck. She just laid silently and yet responded completely to her motherhood. But mother instinct completely overtook her in between at times she used to put her paw around her young ones and roar a little to tell them don’t go too far. Cubs were playing hide and seek with the sunlight and were very mindful of mother’s presence.

For fifteen minutes my camera responded and I went clicking my heroine of the jungle safari. We were joined by couple of jeeps and only thing I heard was clicks of the camera. Finally, she knew that she has given enough shots and was happy to show her celebrity cubs to the world. It was time for her to vanish back to where she belonged. But before disappearing she gave a last look back to make sure all her cubs are with her and no threat is following them.

Still can’t get enough of her and I promised to come back soon to see her kids claiming their own kingdom

Tigers in Mukki zone, Kanha National Park,

TIGERS IN MUKKI ZONE, KANHA TIGER RESERVE as on 29th Feb 2012

1.NAVPATHARA Tigress - Tigress of 07 years moving with 03 cubs of 02 yrs out of which 2 are female and 1 is male. This female covers an area of approx 25sq km and seems to be of very shy nature. Mostly sighted around Nawpathra road and Aurai meadow.

2.Harradadar Tigress - This 5 yrs old tigress covers the territory around Algidadar and Bamnidadar, and sometimes sightted in the non tourism area around Bhesanghat,covers an area of about 20 sq km. Though shy in nature but sighted quite regularly. No litter reported so far.

3.Mahaveer Tigress – This beautiful Tigress is like a queen. Very popular in the area and carrying a litter of 3 cubs of 4 to 5 months and sighted off and own with the cubs. If she is alone then gives a good sighting. Covers Andhkuan, Mowala ,Kiwardabra and Jamjhola region, territory of 35 sq kms. The 02 cubs of its last litter a male and a female are successfully separated from her and for the time being sharing their mothers territory .

4.Queen Minkur Tigress – One of the very successful tigress have seen the sal forest shedding its leaves for the 12 th time this year, looks still pretty healthy even after loosing the upper left canine. The 03 cubs of its last litter one male & two females are separated from her and still found sharing their mother’s territory . Minkur is very shy to face the safari jeeps but it is been noticed that she loves to be seen from the elephants back and stays around for longer during the Tiger show. Hence called the “Tokan wali Mada” also. Minkur coveres area of about 40sq kms.

5.Minkur’s badi beti- This young tigress of 04 years is sighted during the jeep safaris and also very often during the Tiger show also. She is a very successful predator in the Mukki zone and mostly sighted with her kill. Stiil sharing Mother’s territory as mentioned above.

6.Minkur”s choti beti- This 4 years old tigress from Minkur’s same litter is comparatively shy and generally sighted around Bisanpura meadows that lies under her mother’s territory.

7.Minkur’s Beta – This 4 years old sub adult still hesitates to face the tourists, sighted occasionally and has not yet established his own territory, still sharing his mother’s territory.

8.Minkur’s elder Beta – This 5.5 years male from queen’s previous litter seems to be very shy and still keeps hiding in mother’s territory. Rarely sighted. and the reason could be a big fear, since his two sisters were killed by the other transient male in front of him.

9.Chimta Camp Male – This handsome, a bold male of 09 years covers the area of Baba Thenga and Jila line in Mukki Zonne and also covers Nakti Ghati, Raja Kachar and Chimta camp are in Kisli Zone too. All together covers about 45 sq kms. This daring male has also been found hunting on the largest Indian Bovine the Indian Gaur(Bos gaurus).

10. Mahaveer’s Beta – This 3 year old male has just established his own territory of about 30 sq km in mothers territory only. Generally sighted by the Jeeps. Sharing territory with his own sister from the same litter.

11. Mahaveer’s Beti- This three years old female also seen sharing mother’s territory with his brother even after getting separated from the mother. Comparatively less sighted after the separation.
Vijay Joshi / Sanjay (Naturalists at Chitvan)

A very common problem encountered by the tourists during safari was that the Kanha National Park has no toilets. In a 4-5 hour safari it is something that was of a concern to everyone. Our General manager Mr Ashwani Agarwal designed this convenience for the tourists. Currently this is kept at the Soundhar Camp in Mukki range. Just installing was not enough, one person has been deputed to maintain the same after due permissions from the Forest department. Now you may enjoy the Safaris in a more relaxed manner.

Tiger census in Kanha National Park

This was one of the methods to do census of Tigers and other wildlife in the Wild in our National Parks in India. This video has been taken by our guest Mr John Uscian in Kanha National Park, India. Now, this method is being replaced by camera traps considered more accurate as they get the stripes of the Tigers in the photo. And just as no two humans have same fingerprints, no two Tigers have the same stripes. Interesting, isn't it?