National Parks of Madhya Pradesh A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always, declared and owned by a national government, protected from major biotic interferences. National parks are usually located in places which have been largely undeveloped, and often feature areas with exceptional native animals, plants and ecosystems (particularly endangered examples of such), biodiversity, or unusual geological features. India's wildlife is both rich and varied. More than 4% of India's land is under forest cover- there are at least 90 national parks and 482 wildlife sanctuaries. The country is one of the 12 mega diversity areas in the world, in terms of animals. Bandhavgarh National Park Bandhavgarh is a new National Park with a very long history. Cradled between the Vindhyan ranges and the eastern flanks of Satpura ranges of Central Indian Highlands with an area of 168sqmiles (437sq kms), Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve lies mostly in Umaria and partly in Katni districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is best known as the ‘tiger land’ of India, for the highest density of tigers, the Royal Bengal ones, as compared to rest of the country. The scenic beauty of the Reserve is unique owing to the presence of vast grasslands – bahs – together with high cliffs, extremely rugged terrain, sharp crested hills and narrow valleys all in one single landscape. Bandhavgarh was the seat of ex-rulers of Rewa State and its history dates back to 3rd century AD. The Reserve receives its name from the Bandhavgarh Fort situated on the Bandhavgarh hill. Legend has it that the Fort was given to brother Laxmana by Lord Rama to keep a watch on Lanka and hence, acquired the name Bandhavgarh (Bandhav-brother and Garh-fort). References to this are also found in the ‘Narad Panch Ratna’ and ‘Shiva-Samhita Purana’. For more details Click Here Kanha National Park Located in the “Maikal” ranges of the Satpuras, and falling in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha Tiger Reserve is internationally renowned for its typical Central Indian floral and faunal attributes. Apart from supporting a viable population of the tiger, the National Park has also distinguished itself in saving the highly endangered hard ground barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi) from extinction, and has the unique distinction of harbouring the last world population of this deer species. The Tiger Reserve with an area of 1949 sq. km. is comprised of two divisions, namely the Core Zone (National Park) with 940 sq. km. and the Buffer Zone (Multiple Use Area) of 1009 sq. km. Besides, there is also Phen Wildlife Sanctuary (110 sq. km.), a Satellitic Micro Core under the unified control of the Field Director, Kanha Tiger Reserve. For more details Click Here Panna National Park Panna National Park is situated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, at a distance of around 25 km from Khajuraho. The region, famous for its diamond industry, is also home to some of the best wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in the country. The park is known worldwide for its wild cats, including tigers as well as deer and antelopes. Due to its closeness to one of the best-known Indian tourist attraction in India, Khajuraho, the park is recognized as an exciting stop-over destination. The park is well connected with the other parts of the region by a good network of roads. This National Park is located in the region, which is rich in mixed deciduous forests. The landscape of this rocky and uneven terrain is covered by scrubby vegetation and grass. Fauna of this park includes tiger, wolf, chital, sloth bear, chinkara, and sambar. For more details Click Here Pench National Park Pench National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills is named after Pench river which flows from north to south through the Pench National Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh. Located in the AVSM (Aravali, Vindhyanchal, Satpura and Maikal Ranges) belt, this teak forest is different and a pleasant surprise for the visitors. The tracks here are smoother and the trees are thicker with dense undergrowth. For more details Click Here