Kanha National Park
When was Kanha National Park established?
What types of flora and fauna can be found in Kanha National Park?
What is the difference between in situ and ex situ conservation?
Kanha National Park, national park in Madhya Pradesh state, central India, nestled between the Vindhya and the Satpura hill ranges. Originally established as the Banjar Valley Sanctuary in 1933, it became a national park in 1955 and was enlarged in 1962 and 1970. The park extends over 363 square miles (940 square km) of the central highlands at an elevation of about 1,400 to 3,000 feet (450 to 900 meters). With the launch of Project Tiger in 1973, additional land was demarcated around the park to form a tiger reserve, which extends over 800 square miles (2,074 square km) of rolling hills, plateaus, and grasslands, with Kanha National Park as its core zone.
The park can be reached by road from Nagpur, Jabalpur, and Mandla. There are observation towers, or machans, and elephants are used for transport in the park, especially when motorable tracks become impassable during the summer monsoon rains.
Flora and fauna
Although there are occasional patches of bamboo, dense bush, or tall grass high on the slopes and on the hilltops, much of the park consists of dry deciduous woodlands. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the predominant tree species. About 850 species of angiosperms, 22 pteridophyte species, and 2 gymnosperm species have been identified in the park.
In situ (from Latin, meaning “in position”) conservation involves conserving a species (or a genetic resource) in its natural habitat. Along with the species, the entire ecosystem is therefore protected through in situ conservation. It usually takes place by designating protected natural areas, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. Along with the wildlife and ecosystem, in situ conservation may also safeguard the lives and living traditions of the Indigenous communities associated with the protected natural habitat.
Ex situ (from Latin, meaning “out of place”) conservation, on the other hand, involves preserving biodiversity (a species or genetic resource) outside the natural habitat. This is usually done in artificial environments such as zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and seed banks, either because the species’ original habitat has been lost or severely degraded, or there are other threats to its survival in the wild. Ex situ conservation is therefore targeted at a specific species (or genetic resource) and does not ensure conservation of the ecosystem or natural habitat. The end goal of such initiatives is often protection of the species from extinction and its subsequent reintroduction in its native habitat.
An estimated 43 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, and 26 species of reptiles populate the park. Fauna includes langurs, wild dogs, tigers, leopards, wild pigs, barking deer, chitals, sambars, barasingha, gaur, quail, red and gray jungle fowl, and peafowl. Rare animals such as the Indian giant squirrel, the rusty spotted cat, and the mouse deer are also found here. The park plays an important role in the in situ conservation of tigers and barasingha. Several orphaned tiger cubs were raised and trained by park officials to hunt and survive in the wild before they were released into other tiger reserves in the state. The blackbuck, which once roamed these forested lands before becoming locally extinct, was reintroduced in 2011.
A conservation success story
The Kanha model of biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration has inspired wildlife management and ecosystem conservation efforts across India. Over the years, the model has involved extensive relocation and resettlement of humans residing inside the park, long- and short-term monitoring of wildlife, reintroduction of wild animals, rewilding of captive-raised tigers, and creation of ecological corridors between protected wildlife preserves. It has also focused on controlling weeds and restoring grasslands, preventing forest fires, and managing the park’s water sources and soil. These conservation activities have helped increase the number of barasingha—the state animal of Madhya Pradesh—in the park from just 66 in the 1970s to 800 in 2020. A 2022 survey reported that the park had 105 tigers.