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 NATIONAL PARKS OF MADHYA
PRADESH
TOURISM

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION

2. NATIONAL PARKS

3. NATIOANL PARKS OF MADHYA PRADESH

• BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK

• PANNA NATIONAL PARK

• MANDLA PLANT FOSSILS NATIONAL PARK

• PENCH NATIONAL PARK

• SANJAY NATIONAL PARK

• KANHA NATIONAL PARK

• SATPURA NATIONAL PARK

• MADHAV NATIONAL PARK

• VAN VIHAR NATIONAL

4. EFFECT OF NATIONAL PARKS ON MADHYA PRADESH TOURISM

5. OUR OPINION

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 INTRODUCTION

National Parks is a reserved land, usually declared and owned by a

national government, protected from most human development and
pollution. National parks are protected area of IUCN (International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) category II. National
parks effects Eco-tourism. We can sy that national park is a part of Eco-
tourism. So many people make tour only for national parks because
national parks are a good option to see the natural beauty, wildlife, and
relation between creature and nature.

India is a home of nature wildlife and religious tourism. There are so many
option of eco-tourism. There are many forests, national parks, rivers,
mountains, hills etc. thus we can say that India is home of natural beauty.

India have 28 states and 7 union territories and near abut 150 corers In
which so many religious caste but all of them are live like brother. India
have also so many types of natural beauty.

In the case of natural parks India have 97 national parks. In which 9

national parks in Madhya Pradesh. These are:-

1. Kanha national park

2. Bandhavgarh national park
3. Sanjay national park
4. Panna national park
5. Pench national park
6. Satpura national park

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 7. Van vihar national park
8. Fossil national park
9. Madhav national

We also called Madhya pardesh is the “heart of India” because it is

situated at the center of India. It is also home of the cultural heritage, and
nature. In Madhya Pradesh Satpura and Vindhya o main hills which raises
so many rivers in which Narmada and Tapti flows west to east and
Chamble, Betwa, Sone, Mahanadi, flows east to west. It have also so long
area reserved for national parks to help to grow the Eco-tourism. In India
current time 97 national parks. Many Famous national parks like Kanha,
Banthavgadh and Pench are located in Madhya Pradesh. The natural
beauty of Madhya Pradesh is equally varied. Consisting largely of a
plateau, the State has everything.Spectacular mountain ranges,
meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique
and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings.

Kanha National Park

This park is situated in the heart of Sal forests of the Central high lands of
Mandla and Balaghat districts. It covers 940sq.km in area. It was set up in
1995. The nearest town Mandla is 65 km, Jabalpur which is160 km from
the park is both rail head as well as air port; Nagpur is 270 km from the
park.

The park has sparsely wooded grassy plateau, sprawling slopes with lush
green, trees and bamboos. There are also plenty of smaller plants,
creepers and mushrooms. The landscape, rich in vegetation presents a
spellbinding view and is eminently suitable for providing shelter to a
variety of mammals and birds.

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This area was initially made a sanctuary in 1955 to protect the magnificent
barasingha-swamp deer from extinction. The fauna of the park consists of
barasingha, cheetal sambar, black duck, barking deer, gaur, hog deer,
chausingha, bison, boar, tiger, leopard, hyena and wild dog. It is also the
tiger reserve under project tiger. The number of tigers has doubled and
barasingha have crossed the 450 mark. There are nearly two hundred bird
species such as storks, teals, pintails, egrets, peafowl, partridges, doves,
pigeons, cuckoos, eagles, kites, etc.

Bandharvgarh National Park

Situated in Shahdol and Jabalpur districts, the park with an area of 437
km was set up in 1968. The nearest town from the park is Umaria, 35 km
away. This town is also the nearest rail head. The nearest airport is at
Jabalpur at a distance of 160km.

The park contains moist deciduous forests with Sal and other trees with
large stretches of grass lands with bamboo groves. The fauna consists of
tiger, panther, leopard, gaur, chausingha, nilgai, chinkara, sloth bear, bear,
wild boar, and a variety of birds.

Madhav National Park

Set up in the year1959, the park is spread over 337 sq km in the district of
Shivpuri. The nearest town is Shivpuri 6kms away. The rail head is Jhansi
100 km from the park and the nearest airport is Gwalior at a distance of
116 km.

The park consist of dry forests of anogeisus lotifolia. The fauna found are
tiger, panther, leopard, spotted deer, black buck, sambar, hyena,
chausingha, langur, nilai, crocodile and python. The spoonbills, waterside
birds and demoiselle cranes. The park has several rest houses and motel.

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Panna National Park

Spread over an area of 543sq.km in the districts of Panna and

Chhatarpur, this park was established in 1981. The nearest town from the
park is Panna 20 km away and the rail head is at Satna which is at a
distance of 95 km. The nearest airport is Khajuraho 20 km away.

The forests of the park are tropical dry deciduous. The fauna found are
leopard, panther, tiger, chinkara, sloth bear, wolf, wild pig, nilgai, gharial,
mugger, crocodile, and peafowl.

Satpura National Park

The park is located in the district of Hoshangabad covering an area of

502sq.km. The nearest town is Pamchamarhi. The nearest railhead is
Piparia at a distance of 55 km and the nearest airport is Bhopal at a
distance of 210 km.

The fauna comprise leopard, tiger, barking deer, Sambar, nilgai and bison.
Hornbill and peafowl are the common birds.

Van Vihar National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Bhopal with an area of
4.45sq.km. The state capital is only 3km away from the park. Bhopal
airport and railhead are at a distance of 12km and 7km respectively from
the park.

The fauna of the park comprise leopard, tiger, ratal, bear, Sambhar, black
buck etc.

Sanjay National Park

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The Sanjay National Park is located in the Madhya Pradesh state of India.
Its head quarter is at Sidhi. It covers Sanjay National Park. The national
park is mostly composed of sal forests. Tiger, leopard, chital, sambar deer
and Nilgiri wild boar can be found here.

Fossil National Park

Established in the year1983. The fossil National park is located in the

district of Mandala in an area of 0.27sq.km. The nearest town from the
park is Shahpura at a distance of 13km. The nearest railhead and airport
are at Jabalpur, 87km from the park. The park contains botanical fossils.

Pench National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Seoni in an area of

293sq.km. Seoni, the nearest town from the park is 50km from here
Nagpur serves as the airport and the railhead for visiting the park which is
at a distance of 90km from it.

The park contains dry mixed deciduous forest. The fauna of the park
comprises tiger, leopard, sloth bear, sambar, gaur, chital, barking deer four
horned antelope wild dog and wild boar.

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MYTHOLOGY

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 INTRODUCTION

National Parks is a reserved land, usually declared and owned by a

national government, protected from most human development and
pollution. National parks are protected area of IUCN (International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) category II. National
parks effects Eco-tourism. We can sy that national park is a part of Eco-
tourism. So many people make tour only for national parks because
national parks are a good option to see the natural beauty, wildlife, and
relation between creature and nature.

India is a home of nature wildlife and religious tourism. There are so many
option of eco-tourism. There are many forests, national parks, rivers,
mountains, hills etc. thus we can say that India is home of natural beauty.

India have 28 states and 7 union territories and near abut 150 corers In
which so many religious caste but all of them are live like brother. India
have also so many types of natural beauty.

In the case of natural parks India have 97 national parks. In which 9

national parks in Madhya Pradesh. These are:-

10.Kanha national park

11.Bandhavgarh national park
12.Sanjay national park
13.Panna national park
14.Pench national park
15.Satpura national park
16.Van vihar national park
17.Fossil national park
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 18.Madhav national

We also called Madhya pardesh is the “heart of India” because it is

situated at the center of India. It is also home of the cultural heritage, and
nature. In Madhya Pradesh Satpura and Vindhya o main hills which raises
so many rivers in which Narmada and Tapti flows west to east and
Chamble, Betwa, Sone, Mahanadi, flows east to west. It have also so long
area reserved for national parks to help to grow the Eco-tourism. In India
current time 97 national parks. Many Famous national parks like Kanha,
Banthavgadh and Pench are located in Madhya Pradesh. The natural
beauty of Madhya Pradesh is equally varied. Consisting largely of a
plateau, the State has everything. Spectacular mountain ranges,
meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique
and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings.

Kanha National Park

This park is situated in the heart of Sal forests of the Central high lands of
Mandla and Balaghat districts. It covers 940sq.km in area. It was set up in
1995. The nearest town Mandla is 65 km, Jabalpur which is160 km from
the park is both rail head as well as air port; Nagpur is 270 km from the
park.

The park has sparsely wooded grassy plateau, sprawling slopes with lush
green, trees and bamboos. There are also plenty of smaller plants,
creepers and mushrooms. The landscape, rich in vegetation presents a
spellbinding view and is eminently suitable for providing shelter to a
variety of mammals and birds.

This area was initially made a sanctuary in 1955 to protect the magnificent
barasingha-swamp deer from extinction. The fauna of the park consists of
barasingha, cheetal sambar, black duck, barking deer, gaur, hog deer,

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chausingha, bison, boar, tiger, leopard, hyena and wild dog. It is also the
tiger reserve under project tiger. The number of tigers has doubled and
barasingha have crossed the 450 mark. There are nearly two hundred bird
species such as storks, teals, pintails, egrets, peafowl, partridges, doves,
pigeons, cuckoos, eagles, kites, etc.

Bandharvgarh National Park

Situated in Shahdol and Jabalpur districts, the park with an area of 437
km was set up in 1968. The nearest town from the park is Umaria, 35 km
away. This town is also the nearest rail head. The nearest airport is at
Jabalpur at a distance of 160km.

The park contains moist deciduous forests with Sal and other trees with
large stretches of grass lands with bamboo groves. The fauna consists of
tiger, panther, leopard, gaur, chausingha, nilgai, chinkara, sloth bear, bear,
wild boar, and a variety of birds.

Madhav National Park

Set up in the year1959, the park is spread over 337 sq km in the district of
Shivpuri. The nearest town is Shivpuri 6kms away. The rail head is Jhansi
100 km from the park and the nearest airport is Gwalior at a distance of
116 km.

The park consist of dry forests of anogeisus lotifolia. The fauna found are
tiger, panther, leopard, spotted deer, black buck, sambar, hyena,
chausingha, langur, nilai, crocodile and python. The spoonbills, waterside
birds and demoiselle cranes. The park has several rest houses and motel.

Panna National Park

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Spread over an area of 543sq.km in the districts of Panna and
Chhatarpur, this park was established in 1981. The nearest town from the
park is Panna 20 km away and the rail head is at Satna which is at a
distance of 95 km. The nearest airport is Khajuraho 20 km away.

The forests of the park are tropical dry deciduous. The fauna found are
leopard, panther, tiger, chinkara, sloth bear, wolf, wild pig, nilgai, gharial,
mugger, crocodile, and peafowl.

Satpura National Park

The park is located in the district of Hoshangabad covering an area of

502sq.km. The nearest town is Pamchamarhi. The nearest railhead is
Piparia at a distance of 55 km and the nearest airport is Bhopal at a
distance of 210 km.

The fauna comprise leopard, tiger, barking deer, Sambar, nilgai and bison.
Hornbill and peafowl are the common birds.

Van Vihar National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Bhopal with an area of
4.45sq.km. The state capital is only 3km away from the park. Bhopal
airport and railhead are at a distance of 12km and 7km respectively from
the park.

The fauna of the park comprise leopard, tiger, ratal, bear, Sambhar, black
buck etc.

Sanjay National Park

The Sanjay National Park is located in the Madhya Pradesh state of India.
Its head quarter is at Sidhi. It covers Sanjay National Park. The national

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park is mostly composed of sal forests. Tiger, leopard, chital, sambar deer
and Nilgiri wild boar can be found here.

Fossil National Park

Established in the year1983. The fossil National park is located in the

district of Mandala in an area of 0.27sq.km. The nearest town from the
park is Shahpura at a distance of 13km. The nearest railhead and airport
are at Jabalpur, 87km from the park. The park contains botanical fossils.

Pench National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Seoni in an area of

293sq.km. Seoni, the nearest town from the park is 50km from here
Nagpur serves as the airport and the railhead for visiting the park which is
at a distance of 90km from it.

The park contains dry mixed deciduous forest. The fauna of the park
comprises tiger, leopard, sloth bear, sambar, gaur, chital, barking deer four
horned antelope wild dog and wild boar.

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 NATIONAL PARKS
A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a
national government, protected from most human development and
pollution. National parks are protected areas of IUCN category II. The
largest national park in the world is the Northeast Greenland National
Park, which was established in 1974. According to The World
Conservation Union IUCN, there are now 6,555 national parks worldwide

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There are 97 existing national parks in India covering an area of
38,199.47 km2, which is 1.16% of the geographical area of the country
(National Wildlife Database, June 2008). In addition to the above 74
national parks covering an area of 16,630.08 km2 are proposed in the
Protected Area Network Report (Rodgers et al. 2002). The network of
parks will go up 171 after full implementation of the above report.

State-wise break up of National Parks

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 Area of Area % of
No. of
State/UTs State Covered State
NPs
(km2) (km2) Area
Andhra Pradesh 275068 4 373.23 0.14
Arunachal
2 2290.82
Pradesh 83743 2.74
Assam 78438 5 1977.79 2.52
Bihar 94163 1 335.65 0.36
Chhattisgarh 135194 3 2899.08 2.14
Goa 3702 1 107.00 2.89
Gujarat 196024 4 480.11 0.24
Haryana 44212 2 48.25 0.11
Himachal Pradesh 55673 2 1430.00 2.57
Jammu & Kashmir 222235 4 3930.25 1.77
Jharkhand 79714 1 231.67 0.29
Karnataka 191791 5 2472.18 1.29
Kerala 38863 6 558.16 1.44
Madhya pradesh 308252 9 3656.36 1.19
Maharashtra 307690 6 1273.60 0.41
Manipur 22327 1 40.00 0.18
Meghalaya 22429 2 267.48 1.19
Mizoram 21081 2 150.00 0.71
Nagaland 16579 1 202.02 1.22
Orissa 155707 2 990.70 0.64
Punjab 50362 0 0.00 0.00
Rajasthan 342239 5 4122.33 1.20
Sikkim 7096 1 1784.00 25.14
Tamil Nadu 130058 5 307.84 0.24
Tripura 10486 2 199.79 1.91
Uttar Pradesh 240926 1 490.00 0.20
Uttarakhand 53485 6 4731.00 8.85
West Bengal 88752 5 1693.25 1.91
Union Territories
Andaman &
9 1156.91
Nicobar 8249 14.02
Chandigarh 114 0 0.00 0.00
Dadra & Nagar
491 0 0.00
Haveli 0.00
Daman & Diu 112 0 0.00 0.00 - 17 -
Delhi 1483 0 0.00 0.00
Lakshadweep 32 0 0.00 0.00 - 17 -
Pondicherry 493 0 0.00 0.00
India 3287263 97 38199.48 1.16
HISTORY OF NATIONAL PARKS

In 1810, the English poet William Wordsworth described the Lake District
as a "sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest
who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy". The painter George
Catlin, in his travels through the American West, wrote in 1832 that the
Native Americans in the United States might be preserved "by some great
protecting policy of government . . . in a magnificent park . . . A nation's
park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their
nature's beauty!" Similar ideas were expressed in other countries—in
Sweden, for instance, the Finnish-born Baron Adolf Erik Nordenskjold
made such a proposition in 1880. The Scottish-American naturalist John
Muir was inspirational in the foundation of national parks, anticipating
many ideas of conservationism, environmentalism, and the animal rights
movement.

The first effort by any government to set aside such protected lands was
in the United States, on April 20, 1832, when President Andrew Jackson
signed legislation to set aside four sections of land around what is now
Hot Springs, Arkansas to protect the natural, thermal springs and
adjoining mountainsides for the future disposal of the US government. It
was known as the Hot Springs Reservation. However no legal authority
was established and federal control of the area was not clearly
established until 1877.

The next effort by any government to set aside such protected lands was,
again, in the United States, when President Abraham Lincoln signed an
Act of Congress on June 30, 1864, ceding the Yosemite Valley and the
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (later becoming the Yosemite National
Park) to the state of California:

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 “The said State shall accept this grant upon
the express
conditions that the premises shall be held
for public use,
resort, and recreation; shall be inalienable
for all time.”

ABRAHAM LICION

In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as arguably the

world's first truly national park. When news of the natural wonders of the
Yellowstone were first promulgated, the land was part of a federally
governed territory. Unlike Yosemite, there was no state government that
could assume stewardship of the land, so the federal government took on
direct responsibility for the park, a process formally completed in October
1, 1890—the official first National park of the United States. It took the
combined effort and interest of conservationists, politicians and especially
businesses—namely, the Northern Pacific Railroad, whose route through
Montana would greatly benefit by the creation of this new tourist attraction
—to ensure the passage of that landmark enabling legislation by the
United States Congress to create Yellowstone National Park. Theodore
Roosevelt, already an active campaigner and so influential as good stump
speakers were highly necessary in the pre-telecommunications era, was
highly influential in convincing fellow Republicans and big business to
back the bill.

The "dean of western writers", American Pulitzer prize-winning author

Wallace Stegner, has written that national parks are 'America's best
idea,'—a departure from the royal preserves that Old World sovereigns
enjoyed for themselves—inherently democratic, open to all, "they reflect
us at our best, not our worst. Even with the creation of Yellowstone,
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Yosemite, and nearly 37 other national parks and monuments, another 44
years passed before an agency was created in the United States to
administer these units in a comprehensive way - the U.S. National Park
Service (NPS). Businessman Stephen Mather and his journalist partner
Robert Sterling Yard pushed hardest for the creation of the NPS, writing
then-Secretary of the Interior Franklin Knight Lane about such a need and
spearheading a large publicity campaign for their movement. Lane invited
Mather to come to Washington, DC to work with him to draft and see
passage of the NPS Organic Act, which was approved by Congress and
signed into law on August 25, 1916. Of the 391 sites managed by the
National Park Service of the United States, only 58 carry the designation
of National Park.

Following the idea established in Yellowstone there soon followed parks in

other nations. In Australia, the Royal National Park was established just
south of Sydney in 1879. Rocky Mountain National Park became
Canada's first national park in 1885. New Zealand had its first national
park in 1887. In Europe the first national parks were a set of nine parks in
Sweden in 1909; Europe has some 370 national parks as of this writing. In
1926, the government of South Africa designated Kruger National Park as
the nation's first national park. After World War II, national parks were
founded all over the world. The Vanoise National Park in the Alps was the
first French national park, created in 1963 after public mobilization against
a touristic project

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 NATIOANL PARKS OF MADHYA PRADESH

Madhya Pradesh is virtually a heaven for the wildlife lovers as the state is
rich with a huge variety of fauna. There is something magical in the woods
of Madhya Pradesh that beckons people here again and again. It is here
that one has few of the most spectacular sightings of endangered species
in the many celebrated national parks that are scattered throughout the
state. A safari through these parks are moments of which unforgettable
holiday experiences are made.

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Most important parks in Madhya Pradesh are Kanha National Park and
Bandhavgarh National Park. The parks are there, not merely to entertain
us but to preserve the precious biodiversity that keeps this world moving
forward in a balance. So a visitor to these amazing lands, should keep in
mind the precaution that have to be taken before your trip through the
wild. Always follow the rules of the park that ensures your safety as well
as the safety of the animals.

KANHA NATIONAL PARKS

FACTS AND FIGURES

Area 1,945 sq km
Languages Hindi and English
Altitude 600-900 m above sea level
Best time to visit April to June and November to January

Kanha National Park is situated in the eastern part of Madhya Pradesh

and has been considered as the best national park in Asia. It covers an
area of around 2000 sq. km and is covered by Satpura Ranges. The entire
park is covered with vast grasslands and Sal trees. The grasslands are
the best place where you spot most of the wildlife. Kanha is famous for
Tigers as this is one of the oldest parks to have been included in Tiger
Project. A sight of the legendary Sher Khan of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle
Book will definitely leave you speechless but there is more to Kanha than
tigers. The park is also home to the rare Barasingha. Seeing them
strutting around, flaunting there antlers like crown on their head is a view
of fantasies. Other animals that make Kanha one of the best parks in India
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are Wild Boar, Gaur, Chital, Indian wolf and many more. The park is also a
great nesting ground for many birds species. Around 300 species of birds,
both resident and migratory have been spotted here.

ABOUT KANHA NATIONAL PARK

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

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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

LOCATION OF KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

In the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh State in Centra! India. The park
is accessible .from Jabalpur (170km, or 105 miles, away) which also has
the nearest' airport and railhead. Nagpur is 270km (168 miles) from Kanha

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CLIMATE OF KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

Summer temperatures are very high (maximum 43°C; 10goF) and Winter
is extremely cold (minimum 2°C; 36°F).
WHEN TO GO (KANHA NATIONAL PARK) :

Best time to visit is March to June. Park closed during monsoon from
beginning July to end October. Also closed midday to give respite to
wildlife.

GETTING TO KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

Mandla is the district's main town (65km; 40 miles); buses travel between
here and the park. The road from Nagpur to Kanha is bad; a car journey
takes about five hours. Entrance gates at Kisli and Mukki, which have full

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canteen facilities. Just beyond Kisli gate, multiple food stores at Khatia.s.

FACILITIES AT KANHA NATIONAL PARK:

Forest Lodge managed by MPSTDC, forest rest houses, Baghira log huts
of Madhya Pradesh (no self-catering required). Khatia has manY private
lodges, among them Kipling Camp, Krishna and Mowgli. Self-drive
permissible with guide; jeep tours and elephant-back rides into Kanha.
Khatia has an Interpretation Centre with displays and a sound and light
show.

WILDLIFE IN KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

Regularly spotted are Tiger ancl Muntjac; Panther rarely. Chausingha and
Nilgai, although Present, are not often seen

LANDSCAPE OF KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

Forested park nestles in horseshoe-shaped valley backed by spurs of

Maikal hills and fronted by rolling meadows

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PERMITS AND RESERVATIONS FOR KANHA NATIONAL PARK :

Accommodation should be booked in advance. For general information,

write to. The Field Director, Project Tiger, PO Mandla, Madhya Pradesh.

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
privateland. 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 Eco development 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

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"Bewar" - prevailed almost unhindered until 1870 on the hill slopes.

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)

MAIN SPECIES(FLORA)
Sal, Saja, Lendia, Dhawa, Tendu, Palas, Bija, Mahua, Aonla, Achar and
Bamboo etc. Besides, there are many species of climbers, forbs and
grass.

MAIN SPECIES( FAUNA)

MAMMALS:

Chital , Sambar , Barasingha , Barking deer , Chousingha , Gaur , Langur

Wild pig , Jackal, Sloth bear, Wild dog, Panther, Tiger .

REPTILES:

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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.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Under research and monitoring activities, field data collection is carried

out in the specially laid out plots, as per guidelines of Project Tiger.Daily
monitoring of the endangered barasingha population is also ensured in the

prescribe format. Cattle immunization program in core and buffer zones is

carried out periodically.

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BIRDS:

The Reserve supports around 300 species of birds.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES

ECO-DEVELOPMENT
Integrated community development inputs have been provided in the
buffer zone under the MP Forestry Project. Eco-developmental inputs
have been provided to some peripheral villages. The important
components have been:

1. Protection, regeneration and increased productivity of the forest

resources of the peripheral area for fodder, fuel wood, timber and MFP,
apart from a greater security of access to these resources for the
villagers through the development of participatory management

2. Fostering activities related to the use of non-forest resources for income

generation.

3. Promoting activities to cover the interface between forest and other

sectors.

ECO-DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES

There are 106 EDCs in the buffer and 25 in the core zone involved in
various Eco-developmental initiatives with the Reserve Management.

PROTECTION SQUADS / PATROLLING

Apart from regular patrolling by different level of field staff and officers, two

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strike forces have been created with vehicular mobility to reinforce
protection of the Reserve.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

The spearhead team has been imparting the necessary skill to other
frontline staff of the buffer zone division for site-specific micro-planning.
Further, the team frequently convenes village level meetings for promoting
awareness amongst the local inhabitants, apart from carrying out
meaningful interpretation of PA values.

BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARKS

INTRODUCTION

FACTS & FIGURES

Area : 450 sq. km (Core area: 105 sq. km)
Altitude : 800 m above sea level
Temperature range : 42°C to 2°C
Best time to visit : February-June (Closed 1 July-31 October)
STD Code : 07653

Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the wild life sanctuaries in the Indian
state Madhya Pradesh. The national park is situated at 197 km away
north-east of Jabalpur. This wild life park derived its very name from an

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ancient fort in the area. Bandhawgarh National Park belongs to the
Vindhyan mountain ranges of central India and it boasts to have the
highest density of tiger population in the country. Now there are about 46
to 52 tigers one can spot here.

Situated in Shahdol district, among the hills of the Vindhya Range,

Bandhavgarh National Park is known for having the highest density of
Tiger population in India. Spread over an area of 168 sq miles, the
sanctuary's central area-the original 40 sq miles, is said to be the home of
over 22 tigers. Known as the White tiger country (the last one was found
in 1951), the sanctuary became a national park in the year 1968 and in
1986 the area of the sanctuary was extended to include two large areas of
forest adjoining it on the northern and southern sides. The park offers
excellent game, bird viewing and historical interest, which attract a large
number of visitors

The thick forest of Bandhavgarh National Park sits in a bowl encircled by

cliffs and wooded Vindhyan mountains, and its plains have a number of
grass and reed covered wetlands where Kingfishers dive and Egrets sit
poised, hunch-backed, in the shallows. Up above, vultures nestle in holes
in the sheer cliffs

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The Bandhavgarh jungle, when it is large enough, becomes a living self-
sustaining organism providing its own climate, atmosphere, water and
nutrition through its recycling systems. It even has a sleep wake cycle. As
more light fills the sky, Bandhavgarh begins to awaken.

Map of bandhavgarh national park

Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has decided that National parks will
be re-opend as per their previous schedule, hence National Parks in
Madhya Pradesh will be reopened for tourists on 1st October, 2008
positively

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Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh.
Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a
buffer area of approximately 400 sq km of topography varies between
steep ridges, undulating, forest and open meadows. Bandhavgarh
National Park is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the
Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India.

Bandhavgarh National Park was the former hunting preserve of the

Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White
Tigers. White Tigers, now a major attraction around the world's zoos, were
first discovered in Rewa, not far from here. The terrain is broken, with
rocky hill ranges, running roughly east west, interspersed with grassy
swamps and forested valleys

Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the finest national park in the India
and has the distinction of harboring the highest concentration of tigers per
unit area of forest. The Bandhavgarh National Park is spread over on area
of 448 sq km with a cross area of 105 sq km. At the center of the park is
the Bandhavgarh hill, rising 811 meters above sea level and surrounding it
are a sloping valleys, These valleys end in small, swampy meadows
locally known as “bohera”.

Bandhavgarh National Park as an inspirit national habitat for a variety of

wildlife peculiar to the area. These include gaur (Indian bison), sloth bear,
leopard, porcupine, wild boar, sambhar and spotted deer, among others
and of course, the tiger.

FLORA IN BANDHAVGARH

Initially just 105.40-sq-kms in area, Bandhavgarh with 25 resident

TIGERS was noted for its high-density tiger population. Today, it has been
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extended to an area of 437-sq-kms. About half the Bandhavgarh park is
covered with fine trees of Sal, while mixed forests are found in the higher
reaches of the hills. Stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the
north. The main wildlife viewing is still done in the core of the park with its
32 picturesque, wooded hills.

MAJOR WILDLIFE ATTRACTIONS – BANDHAVGARH

Once a hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa in more recent times,
Bandhavgarh was declared a park in 1968. This is also the site where the
fanmous WHITE TIGERS of Rewa were discovered.
Wandering through the Bandhavgarh national park on an Elephant Back,
the chances of seeing a tiger are quite good. Among the other wild
attractions include, Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild Boar and
sometimes a Fox or Jackal.

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In the Bandhavgarh National Park the visitors can be entered on elephant
back apart from the four wheelers. In the elephant safaris a forest
department guide always accompanies the guests who will direct and tell
about the flora and fauna of the park. The best time to visit the park is
early in the morning or after 4 pm to spot the animals. The park is closed
from 1st July to 31st October, which is the monsoon season.

JEEP AND ELEPHANT SAFARI

One can enjoy viewing the wildlife by two ways in Bandhavgarh - Jeep
Safari and Elephant Safari.. Jeep safaris are undertaken during the early
morning hours till evening. A forest department guide is always their with
the visitors on these jeep trips taken inside the park. Elephant safari trips
are organized for tiger tracking early in the morning.

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BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARKS

Bandhavgarh was recognized as a national Park in the year 1968.

Situated in the Umaria district, the park covers an area of 448 sq. km. The
terrain of the park is quite rocky . The Bandhavgarh fort hill that stands in
the center is around 811 m in height. The density of tiger in Bandhavgarh
is known to be the highest in India. To spot one of them, you can take
different safaris. Jeep safari and elephant safari are the most common,
convenient, and capturing. Animals that you can spot here are Panther,
spotted deer, Sambhar, Wild Boar. There is something for bird watchers
also as different varieties of them have been spotted here. Inside the park,
there are around 35 sandstone caves to the north that are also worth a
visit.

PANNA NATIONAL PARK

Panna National Park is situated in the Chhatarpur District and was

established in the year 1981 and was made a part of Project tiger in the
year 1994. The park covers an area of around 543 sq. km. The landscape
of the park generally consists of vast plateaus, savannah grasslands and
far spread teak forests. During a safari, you can spot animals like tiger,
Panther, crocodiles, Bear, spotted Dear, hyena, jackal and many more
endangered species. Elephant safari is the most exotic way of exploring
this sedate yet striking National Park.

More than one third of the area of Madhya Pradesh is under thick forest
cover which offers a panorama of wildlife treasures. Home to exhilarating
range of wildlife, the state attracts hordes of tourists and wildlife

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enthusiasts. Be a Part of a jungle safari and feel the excitement of being in
the court of King of the Jungle.

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