Wildlife Conservation

Tiger Conservation in Kanha

Kanha National Park is one of the first nine, Tiger Reserve constituted in our country when "Project Tiger" was initially launched way back in 1973. There present Park area encompasses two important valleys vix the Banjar and the Halon.

In 1935, these valley forests were declared Sanctuaries Subsequently, the Banjar valley alone retained that Sanctuaries status till the up gradation as a National park in 1955. the initial area of the National Park was 253 sq. km. km, which with subsequent extensions in 1964and 1970 assumed a size of 446 sq. km.

With the launched of Project Tiger in 1973, the Halon valley area was eventually integrated with the Park, thereby increasing the total area to the present size of 940 sq. km..

Kanha tiger Reserve is constituted on a "core-buffer" strategy. The entire National Park area of 940 sq. km. km. is visualised as a "core zone", free from biotic. Disturbances of any sort. A Buffer zone of 1005 sq. km. km. surrounding the core is treated as a multiple use area.

The buffer zone comprises almost 40 percent forest area and the rest is costiuted by revenue land this zone has been notified by the state Government as a separate division and is under the unified controls of the management.

The Reserve is a part of the Gonndwana tract inhabited traditionally and chiefly by the Gong and Baiga tribes. The villagers had free access to cut and burn the forest at will. The system of shifting cultivation, locally called "Bewar" prevailed almost unhindered until 1870 on the hill slopes. Unrestricted grazing was permitted up to 1915, when grazing rules were introduced.