The largest wildlife sanctuary in Asia, Kanha National Park, which is one of the most well known tiger reserves worldwide, is located among the Banjar and Halon valleys in the Mandla / Balaghat districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is believed that this park formed the basis and gave the inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous Jungle Book. The park is the abode to the uncrowned king of the Kanha jungle: The Royal Bengal Tiger.

A walk In The Wild:
Kanha boasts of about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Other frequent visitors include the Nilgai antelope, the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian wild dog, and an occasional panther. The jewel of Kanha would undoubtedly be the Barasingha or the swamp deer. The open meadows during the cold winter months are usually teeming with barasinghas and there is plenty of tiger activity around the fringes. Other wildlife attractions in the park are chital (spotted deer), chousingha, nilgai, the majestic gaur (Indian bison) and wild pig, is 'tiger country'. It is ideal for viewing both the predator and the prey.
The park comprises of varied bird species in abundance. Over 200 species of birds live in the park and these include egrets, flycatchers, jungle fowl, herons, kingfishers, partridges, teals, warblers, woodpeckers and quail. The Park makes an excellent spot for wildlife viewing and photography. To view the activities of the park and tribal culture one can visit the museum at Kanha. It is closed every Wednesday.

Climate:
The climate of this region is tropical. Summers are hot and humid with a maximum and minimum temperature of 40.6°C and 23.9°C. Winters are pleasant with an average maximum and minimum temperature of 23.9°C and 11.1°C, respectively. The annual average rainfall is 152 cm. The park is closed from July to mid-November during monsoon. The ideal time to visit Kanha would be the period between February and June. A stay of at least 3 nights is recommended, in order, to get a really good sighting of Kanha's more elusive animals.