Kanha Kisli National Park

Nestled in the Maikal hill range of Satpuras in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Kanha Kisli National Park is the land of majestic tigers and is one of the largest tiger reserves in India. The national park is also being declared as one of the finest wildlife areas in the world. Sprawling over two revenue districts of Madhya Pradesh; the Mandala and the Kalaghat, Kanha Kisli National Park was declared as a reserve forest in the year 1879 and then converted as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1933. It was further declared as a national park in the year 1955.

The Kanha Kisli National Park is spread across the area of nearly 940 sq. km. in the Maikal chain hill range. Together with the core zone and the buffer zone, the Kanha Tiger Reserve has the total area of nearly 1945sq. km. The densely forested area of the national park is divided into four major zones known as Kanha, Mukki, Kisli, and Sarhi. Kanha zone is the largest wild area among others and offers a majestic view of the jungle during the safari. The national park is the home to countless life-forms ranging from the mighty tiger, and the barasingha (swamp deer) to innumerable species of plants, reptiles, birds, and tiny insects. This reserve has fascinated many tourists all across the world with its well-developed infrastructure specially meant for them.

Highlights Of Kanha Kisli National Park:

• This famous tiger reserve has 60 Royal Bengal tiger and a significant population of the sloth bear, leopards, Indian bison, Indian wild dog and Barasingha (also known as swamp deer).

• The bamboo forests and lush Sal trees with grassy meadows and canyons of the Kanha region make it one of the most alluring forests for Indian tigers and other animals.

• The Kanha Kisli National Park is the home to the deer species of barking deer, chital or spotted deer, blackbuck, sambar and the highly endangered species, swamp deer or barasingha or Hard Ground Barasingha.

• Black-faced grey langurs are also the most common sighting in Kanha National park along with birds such as the most beautiful plum-headed parakeet, Indian roller, crested serpent eagle, grey hornbill, yellow-wattled lapwing, and many more.

• Nocturnal animals like fox, hyena, civets, jungle cat, porcupine, honey badger, and hares can be seen outside the national park boundaries.

• Reptiles such as Indian cobras, Indian pythons, krait, rat snakes, keel backs, vipers, and grass snakes can be seen here. Many species of turtles and amphibians are also spotted in or near the water bodies in Kanha.

Things To Do Here:

• The most exciting way to track and spot the wild animals in Kanha Kisli National Park is by using the elephant safari. The national park also offers special elephant safari or joy ride along with hiking around the limited or specific area. You can also go for a jeep safari to catch a glimpse of the species as you drift through the dense forest of Kanha National Park.

• Visitors can experience the beauty of the Bammi Dadar, which is also known as Sunset Point. Bammi Dadar is one of the most attractive spots of the National Park and is 275m above Kanha and hence you would surely be amazed by the beauty the sunset from this height beholds.

• You can also capture animals like Sambar, Gaur, Barking Deer, and the Four Horned Antelope here with your camera. You can even get chances to capture some of the exotic birds with your camera in the national park.

• You can explore the wildlife richness in Kanha Museum.

Best Time To Visit Here:

The best time to plan a trip to Kanha Kisli National Park is between the months of February to June because during the summer season the chances to spot tigers are more as compared to the winter season. As the inland water resources of the forest get dry, all the wild species come out of the dense jungle in the search of water, this is the time when one can spot all animals in one place. The national park remains closed during the monsoon season from 1st July to 15th October, as the place receives pretty heavy rainfall.

Nearby Attractions Here:

While visiting Kanha Kisli National Park, visitors can explore some of the other attractions like Mandla, Kawardha Palace, Amarantak, Kachnar Temple, Chausath Yogini Temple, Gwarighat Gurudwara, Dhuandhar Falls, Bargi Dam, Moti Mahal, and many more.

How To Reach Here:

Kanha Kisli National Park has extremely good air, road & train connections from most parts of India. There are two key locations of Kanha Kisli National park; Khatia entrance gate & Mukki entrance gate. Khatia entrance gate comes under on Mandla district & Mukki comes under the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. From the Khatia Entrance gate, visitors can explore Kisli, Kanha & Sarhi zones of Kanha national park. And from the Mukki entrance gate, they can explore the Mukki range of the national park. Khatia entrance gate is well connected with Jabalpur and Nagpur. And Mukki entrance gate is connected with Jabalpur, Raipur & Nagpur.

• By Road- Kanha Kisli National Park has well connectivity with major destinations of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. So one can easily get buses to reach the national park.

• By Train- The nearest railway station for accessing Kanha Kisli National Park is Gondia and Jabalpur. Gondia railway station is at a distance of 145km from the park and it takes 3 hours drive from Kanha (Khatia Entrance Gate). Jabalpur railway station is at a distance of 160km from the park and it takes 4 hours drive from Kanha (Mukki Entrance Gate)

• By Air- The nearest airport for Kanha Kisli National Park are Jabalpur, Raipur, and Nagpur, which are about 160km, 250km and 300km away from the place respectively.

Additional Information For The Visitors:

One can easily book tickets in advance for Safari in Kanha Kisli National Park through the online. The current reservation is also made available at the entrance gate of the national park in Khatia village. One just needs to fill a form and pay the required money for the ticket plus Jeep. Tickets are available for entry in Kisli, Mukki and Sarhi zone at Rs. 1250/-. The ticket for the Kanha zone is Rs. 1750/-. One needs to pay separate fees for jeep hire and jeep entry which is Rs. 1800/-. The morning visiting hours for the national park is from 6:30 am to 11:00 am and the evening visiting hours is from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.