Tiger walks in dry boulder-strewn ravine, Panna National Park

  • 5 years ago
The tiger also known as Panthera tigris is one of the largest cat species in the world reaching up to a total body length of 3.3 metres and weighing up to 306 kg. The common feature of a tiger is the pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter under parts. They have particularly stout teeth, and long canines. Tigers can live up to 20-26 years. They are territorial, protective and generally social animals. They often require large end-to-end areas of habitat that can sustain their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on Earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans.

Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 to 3,948 individuals, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets that are isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The extent of area occupied by tigers is estimated at less than 1,184,911 km2 (457,497 sq mi), a 41% decline from the area estimated in the mid-1990s.Tigers are among the most recognizable and popular of the world's charismatic mega fauna. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags, coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and India.

Kanha National Park is a national park in the districts of Mandla and Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, India. Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955 by a special law and since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of animal species. Many endangered species have indeed been saved here. Today Kanha is among the few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia. This 'Tiger Country' is the ideal home for both predator and prey. Today it stretches over an area of 940 km per square surrounding buffer zone of 1,067 km per square and the neighboring 110 km per square Phen Sanctuary it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve making it the largest National Park in Central India.

The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear, Barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, tiger, leopard and Indian wild dog.

The birds species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers. Kanha National Park is also home to over 200 species of flowering plants. However, if one animal species were to represent Kanha, it would probably be the barasingha, or the swamp deer.

The climate of this region is tropical. Summers are hot and humid with a maximum and minimum temperature of 40.6°C and 23.9°C. Winters are pleasant with an average maximum and minimum temperature of 23.9°C and 11.1°C, respectively. The annual average rainfall is 152 cm. The park is closed from July to mid-October during monsoon.

Source: Wikipedia & http://www.kanhanationalpark.com/

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