At about 250 km, a 5–6 hour drive, lies Kanha National Park. Popularised by Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book, Kanha is a much larger park than Bandhavgarh. Though its flora and fauna are quite similar, it’s worth including Kanha in your itinerary when travelling to central India to see tigers. The key differences are in the landscape—and the fact that Kanha is surrounded by aboriginal tribes.
Kanha is also known as a donor park, having contributed animals to various reserves while maintaining its own balance. It made history in Indian conservation by reviving the population of the hard ground swamp deer from just 60 to over 600. This species was once found only in Kanha. Now, the park has shared swamp deer with Satpura National Park, spotted deer with Then Wildlife Sanctuary, Indian gaur with Bandhavgarh, and tigers with Panna. More about Kanha can be found on our website: www.kanha.net
Pench Tiger Reserve was established in 1992 as the 19th reserve under Project Tiger. Its core area, Pench National Park, was created in 1983 after being carved out of the Pench Sanctuary, which was declared in 1977 with an area of 449.39 sq. km.
The park spans 292.85 sq. km, almost equally divided between two districts—145.36 sq. km in Seoni and 147.28 sq. km in Chhindwara. This includes 138.24 sq. km of reserve forest, 6.26 sq. km of protected forest, and 2.78 sq. km of revenue land. The buffer zone covers 465 sq. km, comprising 333.05 sq. km of reserve forest, 102.36 sq. km of protected forest, and 29.59 sq. km of revenue land. The total area of the reserve stands at 757.86 sq. km.
The park area, 292.85 sq. km, is nearly equally divided between Seoni (145.36 sq. km) and Chhindwara (147.28 sq. km), with 138.24 sq. km of reserve forests, 6.26 sq. km of protected forest, and 2.78 sq. km of revenue lands. The buffer zone, 465 sq. km, consists of 333.05 sq. km of reserve forest, 102.36 sq. km of protected forest, and 29.59 sq. km of revenue land. The reserve’s total area is 757.86 sq. km.
Please visit www.pench.net to discover more about Pench.
Located just 30 km from Khajuraho and about 225 km from Bandhavgarh, Panna National Park is a very scenic national park. For a well-traveled wildlife enthusiast, there is plenty in Panna to be doing a safari. Ken river adds a dimension to the Panna National Park, which other parks in the region do not have. The option of doing Boat safaris here and seeing crocodiles and some migratory birds is an enriching experience. Night safaris permitted in the sanctuary area are also a good one time activity.
Panna had plenty of Tigers until systematic poaching made it completely bereft of them in 2007. But it was a strong demonstration of will power by the Field Director of Panna at that time Mr Murthy, who was ably supported by the State Forest Department that Panna heard the roar once again. A male Tiger from Panna, and Tigresses from Kanha and Bandhavgarh were shifted to Panna. Close monitoring was done 24X7. Today there are over 35 Tigers including cubs in the park. Panna is also one of the last places in India to see the Vultures. Panna is also home to Leopards, Sloth Bears, Hyenas and jackals apart from the normal prey base of ungulates.
Located just 115 km from Bandhavgarh, about a 2-hour drive, Sanjay Dubri National Park is a hidden gem of Madhya Pradesh. Though relatively unknown among national parks, it is home to a few tigers and features flora and fauna similar to Bandhavgarh and Kanha. The landscape, however, differs—with areas enriched by the Banas River that flows alongside the forest. With minimal tourism, Sanjay is ideal for a day trip from Bandhavgarh or even an overnight stay. Currently, there is one Madhya Pradesh Tourism accommodation located on the banks of the Banas River.
There are excellent chances of spotting sloth bears here. Some visitors report sightings of sloth bears as frequently as tigers in Bandhavgarh. The park is primarily a sal forest, with certain ranges featuring abundant bamboo. One range even borders Chhattisgarh, where elephants have occasionally crossed over. Due to the dense sal forest, part of the park once formed an elephant corridor. A recent visit by elephants from Chhattisgarh has renewed hopes of more frequent migrations in the future.
You can read more about Sanjay Dubri National Park here.
