Kanha National Park also known as Kanha-Kisli National Park is one of the famous tiger reserve of India and the largest national park located in the magical land of Madhya Pradesh falls in the two districts Mandala and Balaghat. The present-day Kanha area is seperated into two protected areas, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 square kilometre (97 and 116 sq mi), respectively. It was declared a reserve forest in 1879 and notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. In the 1930s, Kanha was divided into two sanctuaries Hallon and Banjar, of 250 sq km and 300 sq km respectively. Its status came into existence in the year 1955.
Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955 and was designated as a tiger reserve in the year of 1973. Today, it sprawls over an area of 940 square kilometres. It is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in India which attracts flocks of wildlife enthusiasts every year. Since its inception in 1862, Kanha has rated as top tiger zone and holds significant place for Barasingha.
Kanha is crowned as one of the best administered and managed parks in India. It is one of the ‘Navratanas’ of the India project tiger. A heightened tourists attraction within the Park is Bamni Dadar, popularly known as Sunset Point that offers the most awe-inspiring backdrop of the sunset against grazing Sambhars and Gaurs, magnifying the natural splendor of the area. Aside from its diverse wildlife and bird population, the frequent sightings of Tigers roaming in the wild at Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary remain the most popular tourist attention. Kanha Tiger Reserve is home to over 1000 species of flowering plants. The lowland forest is a mixture of sal and other mixed-forest trees, interspersed with meadows. The highland forests are tropical moist, dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature from bamboo on slopes.
The park hosts Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, sloth bear, barasingha and dhole. It is also the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, Bhoorsingh the Barasingha
The Reserve lies in the east of the Central Indian highlands of the ancient Satpura mountain range. Here, flat-topped hills support grassy meadows and the river Sulkum flows through the valley. The Banjaar and Halon valleys used to be hunting grounds of the British who would hunt the barasingha deer but their rapid decline in numbers forced the authorities to gazette Kanha as a Sanctuary in 1933. In 1955, a 250 square kilometre patch of land was declared the Kanha National Park. The Mukki Valley was added to the Protected Area in 1970 and then, thanks to Project Tiger, a vital part of the upper Halon Valley was also included. Today it stretches over an area of 940 square kilometres with a surrounding buffer zone of 1,134 square kilometres. Along with the neighbouring Phen Sanctuary, it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve. There are four tourist zones here, each worth a visit – Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and Sarh.