Checklist of trees - Kanha National Park

Checklist of major trees found in kanha landscape

Kanha national park is famous for Tigers and other wild animals. Most tourists visit this beautiful forest only to see the animals and tend to forget that it is due to flora here that we are being able to see them here.

Saal Trees on both sides of the road, Kanha national Park

 

S. no.	Scientific name	Family	Common Name
1	Acasia arabica	Leguminosae	Babul
2	Acasia catechu	Leguminosae	Khair
3	Acasia leucophloea	Leguminosae	Reunja
4	Acasia lenticularis	Leguminosae	Bara Khair
5	Adina cordofolia	Rubiaceae	Haldu
6	Aegle marmelos	Rutaceae	Bel
7	Ailantus excelsa	Simarubaceae	Maharukh
8	Albizzia libbeck	Leguminosae	Kala Siris
9	Albizzia chinensis	Leguminosae	Karung
10	Albizzia odoratissima	Leguminosae	Chichwa
11	Albizzia procera	Leguminosae	Safed
12	Anona squamosa	Anonaceac	Sitaphal
13	Anogeissus latifolia	Combretaceae	Dhaora
14	Azadiracta indica	Meliaceae	Neem
15	Anacardium occidentale	Anacardiaceae	Kaju
16	Bauhinia malabarica	Leguminosae	Amta
17	Bauhinia racemosa	Caesalpiniaceae	Asta
18	Bauhinia variegata	Leguminosae	Kachnar
19	Bauhinia retusa	Leguminosae	Sehra
20	Bauhinia purpurens	Leguminosae	Keolar
21	Boswellia serrata	Burseraceae	Salai
22	Bridelea retusa	Euphorbiaceae	Kasai
23	Buchnania lanzan	Anacardiaceae	Achar
24	Butea monosperma	Leguminosae	Palas
25	Careya arborea	Myrtaceae	Kumbhi
26	Casearia graveolens	Samydaceae	Gilehi
27	Casearia elliptica	Samydaceae	Tondri
28	Cassia fistula	Leguminosae	Amaltas
29	Chloroxylon swietenia	Caesalpiniaceae	Bhirra
30	Cleistanthus collinus	Euphorbiaceae	Garari
31	Cochlospermum religiosum	Euphorbiaceae	Galgal
32	Cordia dichotoma	Bixaceae	Lasora
33	Cordia Latifolia	Boraginaceae	Bara Lesora
34	Cordia maeleodli	Boraginaceae	Dahipalas
35	Dalbergia latifolla	Leguminosae	Shisham
36	Dalbergia paniculata	Leguminosae	Dhobin
37	Dalbergia sissoo	Leguminosae	Sissoo
38	Dellenia aurea	Dilleniaceae	Karmata
39	Delonix regia	Leguminosae	Gulmohar
40	Dillenia pentagyna	Dilleniaceae	Kalla
41	Diospyros melanoxylon	Ebenaceae	Tendu
42	Diospyros montana	Ebenaceae	Bistendu
43		Boraginaceae	Datranga
44	Elaeodendron glaucum	Celastraceae	Jamrasi
45	Embilica officinalis	Euphorbiaceae	Anola
46	Eriolaena hookeriana	Sterculiaceae	Bothi
47	Eryhrina suberosa	Leguminosae	Panjra
48	Eucalyptus spp.	Myrtaceae	Nilgiri
49	Euphoribia nivulia	Euphorbiaceae	Thuar
50	Euphoribia tiruculli	Euphorbiaceae	Niwarang
51	Ficus bengaiensis	Moraceae	Bar
52	Ficus semicardata	Moraceae	Bhuidumar
53	Ficus hispida	Moraceae	Katgular
54	Ficus lacor	Moraceae	Pakar
55	Ficus giomerata	Moraceae	Gular
56	Ficus religiosa	Moraceae	Pipal
57	Ficus tomentosa	Moraceae	Sonpakar
58	Flacourtia Indica	Bixaceae	Kakai
59	Gardenia latifolia	Rubiaceae	Papra
60	Gardenia turgida	Rubiaceae	Phetra
61	Gauruga pinnata	Burseraceae	Kekad
62	Gmelina arbrea	Verbenaceae	Gamari
63	Grewia disperma	Tiliaceae	Chaturli
64	Grewia tiliaefolia	Tiliaceae	Dhaman
65	Holopetalia integfolia	Ulmaceae	Chirol
66	Hymenodictyon excelsum	Rubiaceae	Bhonrsal
67	Ixora arborea	Rubiaceae	Lokhandi
68	Kydia calycina	Malvaceae	Pula
69	Lagerstroemia parviflora	Lythraceae	Landia
70	Lannea cormandarica	Anacardiaceae	Moyan
71	Liteea sebifera	Lauraceae	Maida Lakri
72	Madhuca indica	Sapotaceae	Mahua
73	Mallotus philippinensis	Euphorbiaceae	Roli
74	Mangifera indica	Anacardiaceae	Aam
75	Miliusa tomentosa	Anonaceac	Kari
76	Mitragyna parvifolia	Rubiaceae	Mundi
77	Moringa tinctorea	Rubiaceae	Aal
78	Ougeinia oojeinensis	Leguminosae	Tinsa
79	Pongamia pinnata veni	Leguminosae	Karanj
80	Pterocarpus marsupium	Leguminosae	Bija
81	Psidium guava	Myrtaceae	Amrud
82	Randia dumetorum	Rubiaceae	Mainphal
83	Randia uligirosa	Rubiaceae	Kalaphetra
84	Salmalia malabarica	Malvaceae	Semal
85	Schleichera oleosa	Sapindaceae	Kusum
86	Shorea Robusta	Dipterocarpaceae	Saal
87	Schrebra switenioides	Oleaceae	Mokha
88	Semecarpus anacardium	Ancardiaceae	Bhilwa
89	Soymida febrifuga	Meliaceae	Rohan
90	Santlum album	Santalaceae	Chandan
91	Spendias pinnata	Anacardiaceae	Amra
92	Sterculia Urens	Sterculiaceae	Kullu
93	Sterculia villosa	Anacardiaceae	Udal
94	Stereospermum personatum	Bignoniaceae	Padri
95	Stereospermum suaveolens	Bignoniaceae	Padar
96	Stereospermum xylocarpum	Bignoniaceae	Kateri
97	Strychnos petaterum	Leguminosae	Nirmali
98	Syzygium cumini	Myrtaceae	Jamun
99	Syzygium ------------	Myrtaceae	Kim Jamun
100	Tactona grandis	Verbenaceae	Sagon
101	Tamarindus indica	Leguminosae	Imli
102	Terminalia arjuna	Combretaceae	Kahua
103	Terminalia belerica	Combretaceae	Bahera
104	Terminalia chebula	Combretaceae	Harra
105	Terminalia tomentosa	Combretaceae	Saja
106	Wendlandia exserta	Rubiaceae	Tilai
107	Wrightia tinetoria	Apocynaceae	Dudhi
108	Wrightia tomentosa	Apocynaceae	Kali Dudhi
109	Xylia xylocarpa	Mimosaceae	Suria
110	Zizyphus manuratiana	Rhamnaceae	Ber
111	Zizyphus xylopyra	Rhamnaceae	Ghont

 

Rejuvenate and revitalize at Kanha

Yoga, Meditation and Rejuvenation at Kanha

India is a renowned destination for yoga, meditation, spirituality, rejuvenation and associated tourism. People from whole world visit holy places like Haridwar, Benaras, Jabalpur, etc., to get together and understand God and Indian philosophy of life from the famous Gurus. Scriptures tell us to leave all luxury, lead a simple life with only basic facilities to know and reach God within and around. Do ‘Tapa’ by meditating on self or / and on things around, serve the sick and deprived and do your Karma to your best. Most of the Ashrams are either in isolated forest areas or near water bodies with difficult approach. With today’s hectic and stressful life number of people looking for inner peace has gone up many times making most of the well known Ashrams and destinations overcrowded and commercialized.

Places with natural surroundings are best to revitalize yourself with Yoga, meditation and spiritual healing. We need to stay at places which are near nature, with simple food and perform your Tapa. I feel Kanha national park is one such destination. Why Kanha, well you have all the required ingredients here, proximity with nature, serene atmosphere, tribal and underprivileged people to help and work for (the best way to please God), peace and tranquility which is incomparable. The environment around Kanha is so quiet and comforting that you can do yoga, meditate and understand natural world in a much better way which makes it easy to reach your goal. Remember, one of the best ways to understand God is to understand nature, contemplate on your karmas and improve on them besides serving the poor.

At Kanha Tiger Reserve you can go for Gypsy safaris to enjoy the wilderness and its inhabitants including the mighty Tiger – vehicle of Goddess. Jungle walk or Cycling in Buffer zone to experience and understand nature, get massage done from a local masseur or just relax and meditate. These activities along with, fresh air, pure water and serenity of the area facilitate your rejuvenation and revitalization.

Just leave behind today’s stressful life for some time and let your body and mind renew and recuperate itself. You can visit old temples, tributaries of River Narmada or Narmada itself. Activities like nature / wildlife photography, sketching, painting, writing about yourself, your experiences or a novel, singing or playing pleasing instrument like flute or guitar which harmonize with local surroundings help you discover your inner self, lets you speak your mind out and thus help you progress in all phases of life.

 

When and where is a big question since most hotels in Kanha are commercial and full of general and wildlife tourists? Well just chose an accommodation provider which is not on the main road, to keep you away, from the cluttered day to day life and general tourists. A property which can offer fresh and healthy vegetarian food, has a good library, along with tranquil jungle atmosphere. Plan your trip for a week or a month as time permits keeping in mind to avoid prime tourism season like mid December to 1^st week of January when Kanha is overflowing with tourists.

Want to prepare for a spiritual and rejuvenating trip to Central India, just do not think, plan and reach for a better and healthier life.

 

Come, Celebrate Nature, Celebrate Life.

 

Author: Navneet Maheshwari is a nature lover by heart, wildlife photographer by hobby and business person by profession. He is a Pushtimargiya Vaishnava and believes, to know and reach God lead a simple life, help ill and poor to become better and improve our Karmas. A passionate wildlifer he does his bit for conservation and has been appointed as Special Officer, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi.

Gaur – The largest Bovine

Gaur – The largest Bovine

Native of South Asia – Gaur (Bos gaurus) is the largest of Bovine (Cattle) family in the world. It is also called as Indian bison although it is not a bison. Three subspecies of Gaur have been recognized, one found in India, Nepal, and Bhutan is known as - Bos gaurus gaurus. The domesticated form of gaur is called gayal / mithun (Bos frontalis).

Gaur - Bos gaurus, at Kanha National Park

Characteristics

One of the largest living land animals – Gaur is a strong and massive animal with a prominent ridge on the back. The adult male gaur is dark brown to almost black in colour; the lower parts of the legs are pure white or tan giving impression as if the animal is wearing socks. The cows and young once are paler in colour. The hair is short and glossy, and the hooves are narrow and pointed. With body length between 8 to 10 feet and tail of 2 to 3 feet they can weigh anywhere between 600 to 1000 Kg. Large male bulls can sometimes weigh up to 1500 Kg’s.  Females are bit shorter and less bulky than male counterparts; both carry pale green to yellow coloured horns with black tip, which grow from the sides of the head, curving upwards and grow to a length of 24 to 40 in.

Distribution and habitat

Range: Although fragmented within its range once Gaur occurred all over mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and India. Today except India their population has decimated to such an extent that its reversal does not look viable. Most gaur populated national parks are in southern India but seeing them here is difficult due to dense forest tracts. In Central Indian national parks like Kanha, Pench, etc. they can be seen relatively easily.

Gaur can be seen from sea level up to an altitude of 6000 feet in evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests. It prefers undisturbed forest tracts, with availability of water and plenty of forage in the form of grasses, bamboo, shrubs, and trees.   

Ecology, Behavior and Food

Basically diurnal animals they can be seen in undisturbed forest patches like Kanha national park at any time of the day. In monsoon they climb hilly areas but with onset of summers and lack of water in higher ground they descend to lower regions and open grass lands with good water bodies. They live in herds of 10 to 50 which comprises of females and young ones led by one old adult patriarch female. Adult males are mostly solitary and join a group only at the time of mating. Although not very vocal Gaur have been known to snort, make a low, cow-like moo or whistle for help. Solitary bulls are very aggressive but in general they are very shy and when alarmed, run into the dense undergrowth at an unexpected speed.  

Occasionally tiger and crocodiles have been reported to kill fully grown adult but due to their formidable size and power most animals prefer to keep a distance. Tiger, Leopards and wild dogs kill unguarded calves or young ones at times. When confronted by a predator, the adults of a herd form a defensive circle around vulnerable young calves to save them. Author has seen at Kanha, Dholes killing a young gaur making inroad into the defense circle made by adults.

Gaurs consume herbs, young shoots, flowers, fruits, grass, stems and seeds of many varieties. They have been seen consuming tree bark at times and prefer fresh grass when available to maintain the mineral and nutrition levels.  

Reproduction

Males make a mating call of clear, echoing tones which may be heard at long distances. Mating peaks between February to June although they have been seen breeding almost whole year round. Female Gaur gives birth to one calf after a gestation period of about 260 – 270 days; calves are weaned after 10 to 12 months.

Threats

Gaurs are highly threatened by poaching for commercial trade in meat and trophies. Fragmentation of forests and loss of habitat for commercial use and agriculture is also taking its toll on their population. Where ever the wild population is coming in touch with cattle chances of disease like rinderpest decimating the most of the population has been recorded.  

Conservation

Gaur is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to the population decline in the species range. Listed in CITES Appendix I, Gaur is legally protected in whole of its range. They are protected in most national parks in India and can be seen in Kanha National Park and other central Indian reserves very comfortably.

Author: Navneet Maheshwari is a wildlife lover by heart, hotlier by business and wildlife photographer by hobby. He owns Kanha Village Eco Resort at Kanha.