Tiger Reserves in India

Kanha Tiger Reserve

Introduction

Conservation

Census

Management

Forests

» Introduction

Kanha Tiger Reserve, comprising parts of the Mandla & Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, and located in the "Maikal" hills of the Satpuras, is internationally renowned for its rich floral and faunal attributes.

The Reserve is an excellent interspersion of the Dadars (flat hill tops), grassy expanses, dense forests and riverine forests. It is very rich in flora, largely due to the combination of landforms and soil types, apart from the moist character of the region.

The rich habitat diversity of the Reserve supports a wide range of wildlife species along with innumerable lesser life forms, and is the sanctum sanctorum of many typical Central Indian fauna.

Besides harbouring a viable population of the tiger, Kanha has distinguished itself in saving the endangered hard ground barasingha from extinction, and supporting the last world population of this deer species


» Conservation History

Kanha Tiger Reserve is constituted on a "core-buffer" strategy. The entire National Park area of 940 sq. km. is visualised as a "core zone", free from all biotic disturbances. A buffer zone of 1009 sq. km. surrounding the core is treated as a "multiple use area". The buffer zone comprises almost 40 per cent of forest area and the rest is constituted by revenue and private land. This zone is characterized by an interspersion of revenue and forest lands, pock-marked with numerous villages. Besides, the Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, a satellitic micro-core of 110 sq. km., is also under the administration of the Reserve Management. The significance of this micro-core lies in the exchange of gene-pool and dispersal of wildlife populations between the two conservation units. The buffer zone has been notified by the state Government as a separate division and is under the unified control of the
Reserve Management. Wildlife conservation practices and ecodevelopment in the National Park, Buffer Zone and Phen Wildlife Sanctuary are carried out under the Management Plan for the year 2001-2002 to 2010-2011.

The Reserve is a part of the Gondwana tract inhabited traditionally and chiefly by the Gond and Baiga tribes, the latter confining themselves largely to the upper valleys and dadars near the main Maikal range. Information concerning the early history of these forests prior to 1860 is extremely scanty. The villagers had free access to cut and burn forest at will. The system of shifting cultivation, locally called "Bewar" - prevailed almost unhindered until 1870 on the hill slopes.


» Census

CENSUS
Animal	1994		1995		1996		1997		1998
	KNP	Phen	KNP	Phen	KNP	Phen	KNP	Phen	KNP	Phen
Chital	21717	99	18102	107	9724	117	19800	177	20250	187
Sambar	4346	21	3313	24	3516	23	3518	23	3598	25
Barking Deer	228	25	1117	30	977	49	1081	49	1130	51
Nilgai	-	62	-	54	-	62	-	63	-	66
Barasingha	366	-	389	-	322	-	324	-	332	-
Nilgai	62	-	54	-	62	-	63	-	66	-
Chausingha	114	2	99	-	68	69	69	-	70	-
Blackbuck	13	-	9	-	3	-	2	-	2	-
Gaur	1230	15	1372	18	1090	13	1108	13	1190	13
Wild boar	9292	295	9314	312	8293	244	8300	244	8448	244
Sloth bear	53	13	59	12	59	19	59	21	68	21
Langur	6550	443	6375	450	5652	752	5800	752	5844	752
Wild dog	149	57	266	50	304	36	306	40	322	42
Jackal	263	25	250	46	169	28	172	30	220	36
Tiger	100	5	97	4	97	4	105	2	106	2
Panther	72	9	62	8	62	8	70	8	71	10

» Forest Types

Technically the following forest types are found in the Tiger Reserve:

Moist Peninsular Sal Forests (3 C/C2)

Southern Tropical Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest (3 A/C 2a)

Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Mixed Forest(5 A/C-3)

Major Flora

Main Species : Sal, Saja, Lendia, Dhawa, Tendu, Palas, Bija, Mahua, Aonla, Achar and Bamboo etc. Besides, there are many species of climbers, forbs and grass.

Major Fauna

Mammals : Chital , Sambar , Barasingha , Barking deer , Chousingha , Gaur , Langur , Wild pig , Jackal, Sloth bear, Wild dog, Panther, Tiger .

Reptiles : Python, Indian Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Indian Krait, Common Rat Snake, Common Skink, Indian Monitor, Fan Throated Lizard and Indian Garden Lizard etc.

Fishes : Giant Danio, Common Rasbora, Mud Perches, Brown Snakehead and Green Snakehead etc.

Birds : The Reserve supports around 300 species of birds.


» Managements

Practices, Achievements and Shortfalls

Since the core zone of a Project Tiger area should have the least human interference, the Management envisages exclusion of human interference in the form of human settlements, domestic livestock, agriculture and other land use practices, by the gradual relocation of existing habitations. This is required to safeguard the endangered gene-pool of flora and fauna. In the past, 27 forest villages have been relocated at Government expense in a phased manner from the core area of Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Although some extremist engineered activities were reported outside the protected area in the adjoining districts during 1990, the park area remained undisturbed subsequently due to constant and strict vigil and the managerial activities were not hampered. Intensive patrolling is now regularly carried out and various stringent protective measures (coupled with strengthening of wireless network) have been taken, apart from ecodevelopment inputs in the specially constituted buffer zone division.




Kanha Tiger Reserve Reservation Form

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