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The birds species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers.
However, if one animal species were to represent Kanha, it would probably be the barasingha, or the swamp deer. The barasinghas at Kanha are unique, being the hard ground variety, which populate the large open tracts of grass amidst the forests of teak and bamboo. Twenty years ago, the barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate measures including the fencing-off of some animals helped save them and again the air in Kanha bugle with their rutting calls.
The open meadows during the cold winter months are usually teeming with Barasinghas and there is plenty of tiger activity around the fringes. A female with two small cubs would circle around at least two or three times during the day and the swamp deer would go berserk, their husky alarm calls ringing through the jungle. Far from being the cunning, smart aleck, portrayed in Disney's adaptation of the Jungle Book, the real "Sher Khan" is true blue-blooded royalty.
There is a museum at Kanha depicting attributes and activities of the park and tribal culture. It is closed every Wednesday.
Excursions
Near Kanha National Park is Bamni Dadar visited by every tourist who comes to the national park. This place is also known as the sunset point. The Kanha National Park is at it scenic best at this point. The sunset from this spot is mesmerizing. The eminent natural splendor of the park comes to the fore here. The grazing sambhar, barking deer, gaurs, and other animals make the ambience magical.
There are several excursion points that you can visit from Kanha. Most of the places are of historical importance. Some of them also make ideal base points to visit some of the popular tourist destinations of Madhya Pradesh. The city of Nagpur which is famous for its orange orchards makes an ideal day or weekend destination from Kanha. Moreover, you can also visit Jabalpur, a small city housing some of the important historical monuments and archaeological findings. Jabalpur is also famous for its highly revered Tilwara ghat where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the river here.
Nagpur
The city of Nagpur is located at a distance of 260 kilometres from Kanha National Park. Famous for its oranges, Nagpur is nicknamed as the orange city. The present day Nagpur city was founded by the Gond King of Deogad, Bakht Buland Shah in the year 1702. The city will complete its 300 years in the year 2002. Nagpur has a good network of transportation and is easily accessible from its nearby towns and cities.
Jabalpur
Jabalpur makes another important excursion point from Kanha National Park. Located at a distance of 145 kilometres via Mandla, Jabalpur is also an important base point to visit a number of important places in the region. Inside Jabalpur the Madan Mahal Fort built in AD 1116 and the Rani Durgavati Museum that houses a number of fine archaeological findings and sculptures of a bygone era are the two landmarks to visit. The Tilwara Ghat where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi are believed to have been immersed also makes an important place to visit in Jabalpur. You can also access the Marble Rocks, Dhuandhar Falls and the Chausath Yogini Mandir from this place.
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