KANHA NATIONAL PARK

national park in Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh state, central India, extending over 122 sq mi (316 sq km) of the central highlands, at an elevation of from 2,000 ft (600 m) to 3,000 ft. Originally established as the Banjar Valley Sanctuary in 1935, it became a national park in 1955 and was enlarged in 1964. Rolling, sometimes rugged hills that tend to be flat-topped enclose on three sides a large meadow-like grassland. 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. Fauna includes langur, wild dog, tiger, leopard, wild pig, barking deer, chital, sambar, swamp deer, gaur, quail, red and gray jungle fowl, and peafowl. The park can be reached by road from Nagpur, Jabalpur, and Mandla, the district headquarters. There are observation towers, or machan, and elephants are used for transport in the park, especially when motorable tracks become impassable during the summer monsoon.