Fauna in Kanha National Park
The forest of Kanha National Park was inhabited by the Gond and Baiga tribes of Central India. In 1862, the foundation of protecting the forest area was laid when the cutting of trees without proper authorization was prohibited. In 1879, the Kanha area was declared a reserve forest. Thanks to Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, both Pench and Kanha National Park became popular. In 1933, the forest area was declared a sanctuary. The Kanha National Park was formed in 1955 and became a core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve which was created in 1974 under Project Tiger. In 1970, efforts were made to protect Barasingha (swamp deer) from extinction by making a special enclosure for protecting them from carnivorous predators and promoting breeding. In the 1990s, efforts were made to increase Kanha National Park’s biodiversity, resulting in it becoming one of the best wildlife forests in the world. The national park was awarded the best tourist-friendly national park in 2000 by the Dept. of Tourism, Government of India. Conservation efforts of the national park have made it one of the best in Asia.
Fauna :-
Mammals: Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, porcupine, hyena, jackal, fox, jungle cat, hare, monkey, mongoose, langur, wild pig, wild boar, badger, wild dog, Indian hare, mouse deer.
Reptiles: Python, Indian monitor, Russell’s viper, fan throated lizard, Indian garden lizard, rat snake, Indian krait, Indian cobra, a common skink.
Birds: Pea fowl, stork, teal, pintail, heron, egret, peacock and pea fowl, jungle fowl, rock pigeon, green pigeon, partridge, spur fowl, quail, ring doves, spotted parakeet, cuckoo, papiha, rollers, bee-eaters, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfisher, woodpecker, finches, orioles, owls, fly catcher, eagle, kite, vulture, owl, night jar. The exotic bird species observed here include Asian paradise flycatcher, spangled drongo, white rumped shama, white bellied drongo, racket tailed drongo, jungle babbler, tawny babbler, common iora, Eurasian blackbird, painted francolin, Indian scimitar babbler, grey francolin, black naped flycatcher, golden oriole, Malabar pied hornbill, spotted owl, crested serpent eagle, brown fish owl, white eyed and Oriental honey buzzard.
