9 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks in Madhya Pradesh

Situated in Vindhya Hills, Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the renowned places of wildlife in India, and among the best tourist places in Madhya Pradesh. It is about 169 km from Jabalpur, and 452 km from Bhopal.

Covering over an area of about 1536 sq. km, Bandhavgarh is known to have the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world and the frequent sightings of royal tigers make this national park a must-visit for all wildlife enthusiasts. One can spot more than 22 species of mammals including Common Langurs, Rhesus Macaque, the Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, and Leopard as part of Bandhavgarh holiday packages.

The park has three gates, namely Tala, Magadhi, and Khitauli. Out of these three, Tala gate is the most popular as it has more chances of tiger spotting. These are closed for visitors during the monsoon months while the buffer zones Dhamokhar, Panpatha, and Johila are opened throughout the year. Jeep safaris are conducted in all zones while Canter Safari is available only in Maghadhi and Khitauli Zones.

...read more

At a distance of 15 km from Mocha, 59 km from Mandla, 106 km from Balaghat, 146 km from Gondia, 184 km from Jabalpur, 224 km from Raipur, 264 km from Nagpur, and 421 km from Bhopal, Kanha National Park is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras in Madhya Pradesh. Located in Mandla and Balaghat districts, it is the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh and among the popular tourist places to visit in Madhya Pradesh.

Positioned in the central region of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha was established as a sanctuary in the year 1933. It was declared as a National Park in 1955 and eventually made a Tiger Reserve in 1973. Kanha is one of the first Tiger Reserves to work for Project Tiger in India. Sprawling over an area of 2059.7 sq. km, it comprises of 940 sq. km core zone, 1009 sq. km of the buffer zone and 110.79 sq. km of neighbouring Phen Sanctuary. The park encompasses Banjar and Hallon valleys, Sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and winding streams.

Kanha got its name from the texture of the soil found in the park, which is locally called Kanhar. Kanha National Park is one of the most well managed, tourist-friendly & popular tiger reserves of India. Kanha has the highest density of tiger population in the state with around 80 big cats wandering aimlessly in the forest area. Besides its rich tiger population, there are also around 100 leopards, a huge population of deer and antelopes, including some 400 southern ...

...read more

At a distance of 4 km from Turiya, 14 km from Khawasa, 58 km from Seoni, 90 km from Chhindwara, 92 km from Nagpur, 196 km from Kanha National Park, 201 km from Jabalpur, 324 km from Raipur, and 410 km from Bhopal, Pench National Park is straddle across two states - Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Located in Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, it is one of the top national parks in India and among the prominent places to visit as part of Madhya Pradesh tour packages.

Named after Pench River that divides the park into two halves, Pench was notified as a sanctuary in 1977. Then in 1983, it was declared as a national park and in 1992, a Tiger Reserve. It became the 19th project tiger reserve in India. The total area of the Pench is about 1179 Sq. km, of which the core area is 411 sq. km while the buffer area is about 768 Sq. km. The terrain of the park is undulating, with most of the area covered by small hills and tropical moist deciduous forests.

Laden with rocky trails, wooded hills, glassy rivers, and gushing streams, the beauty of Pench National Park is so enchanting that it has sparked one of the best creations of Rudyard Kipling- The Jungle Book. The area of the present Pench Tiger Reserve has also been described in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak (the Emperor Akbar's vizier). Renamed as 'Indira Priyadarshini ...

...read more

At a distance of 21 km from Panna, 26 km from Khajuraho, 51 km from Chhatarpur, 90 km from Satna, 146 km from Tikamgarh, 180 km from Jhansi, 235 km from Jabalpur, 245 km from Allahabad, 257 km from Kanpur, 287 km from Gwalior, 381 km from Bhopal, 513 km from Nagpur, 567 km from Raipur, and 655 km from Patna, Panna National Park is a national park located in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. Situated near Madla village, it is one of the top national parks in India and among the best places to visit as part of Madhya Pradesh tour packages.

Spread over an area of 542.67 sq. km, Panna National Park was once the private hunting reserve of erstwhile rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur & Bijawar states. It was established as a national park by the Government of India in 1981. In 1994, Panna was upgraded into a Tiger Reserve with the inclusion of some other wildlife sanctuaries like Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary, Panna National Park & Ken Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary. This is the 22nd Tiger Reserve of India and the 5th in Madhya Pradesh.

Panna National Park was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India. Unfortunately, the park lost almost all its tigers in 2009 due to poaching. With the collaboration of WWF and PATA, the park authorities introduced two tigers to Panna, one from Bandhavgarh ...

...read more

Cradled in the Satpura Range, Satpura National Park, also known as Satpura Tiger Reserve, is one of the popular national parks in India, and among the popular Madhya Pradesh tour packages. It is situated about 93 km from Pachmarhi, and 140 km from Bhopal.

Covering an area of about 524 sq. km, Satpura National Park was established in 1981 and got the Tiger Reserve status in the year 1999. Divided into 4 zones, it has a large and diversified population of wildlife due to its unique ecosystem and a long history of wildlife conservation. The fauna here includes Indian Bison, Spotted Dear, Leopards, Tigers, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Blackbuck, etc. A jeep safari is the must experience things to do here as part of Satpura tour packages.

Madhai gate is the main entry point from which all safari activities are operated. The park authorities offered two types of safaris to its visitors - Jeep Safari, and Elephant Safari. One can indulge in activities like nature walks, cycling & night Safari, canoeing & boat safaris here. It can also be visited along with Bhopal tour packages.

...read more

At a distance of 5 km from Shivpuri, 89 km from Jhansi and 116 km from Gwalior, Madhav National Park, one of the oldest parks in India, is situated in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the major wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and among prime place to visit on a Gwalior tour.

The park was established as Madhya Bharat National Park in 1955. It was declared as a National Park in the year 1959 and renamed as Madhav National Park after Madhav Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior. It was originally the shooting reserve of the Maharaja. Even before this, during the reign of the Mughals, its dense forests were the hunting grounds of the Mughal emperors. It is also believed that from the dense forests of Madhav National Park, Akbar once captured elephants for his stables in the year 1564 CE. Since the area was a royal shooting reserve, it was well protected and flourished with wild life and was famous for its tigers.

Spread over an area of 375 sq. km, the park offers amazing views of lush greenery and architectural wonders, edified by the erstwhile rulers of Gwalior. Madhav National Park fascinates tourists with its unique surroundings that comprise lakes, dense woodlands, & castles. Madhav National Park is a combination of dry deciduous & dry thorn forests that make home for different variety of antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, Deer, and predatory animals such as Tiger, leopard, wolf, jackal, ...

...read more

At a distance of 12 km from Indore Junction, Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve situated at Ralamandal in the outskirts of Indore city. It is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh, and among the most visited tourist places as part of Indore tour packages.

Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most popular places of wildlife in India. Earlier, it was the hunting ground for the royal family members of Holkars as it had a huge population of tigers, leopards, and deers. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1989 for the conservation of plants and animals. The holy River Narmada graces the sanctuary with its presence. It has an ancient palace built by Holkars which was primarily used as a hunting lodge also known as shikargah.

Spread over 5 sq. km, the sanctuary is home to different species of birds and other wildlife like Leopards, Black Bucks, Chitals, Blue bulls, Hyena, Barking deers, Peacock, Palm-civet, Porcupine and Hare. To protect animals and birds from noise and air pollution emanating from the nearby highway, a green wall of about 8,000 trees was created. There are several trails present in the Wildlife Sanctuary which are ideal for trekking, by both amateurs and professionals. There is also the facility of camel rides inside the sanctuary, which is one of the top highlights among the tourists.

There are several trails present in the Wildlife Sanctuary ...

...read more

At a distance of 8 km from Jabalpur Junction, Dumna Nature Reserve is an eco-tourism site located in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Situated near Jabalpur Airport, it is one of the beautiful Jabalpur tourist places.

Spread over an area of 1058 hectares, Dumna Nature Reserve Park is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Dumna is among the most well preserved ecological habitats in an urban area and it is also a catchment area for the Khandari Lake which is an important source of drinking water supply to the city of Jabalpur. The Khandari Dam was constructed in the year 1883 under J.H. Morris, Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces and Berar. Since then, the forested area provides rainwater to feed the Khandari Reservoir. The place, along with Lower Gaur forest, is described in Captain James Forsyth's 'Highlands of Central India' as a favored place for tiger shoots for British officers.

The park boasts of diverse ecosystems - woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, etc. It has a population of nine leopards, more than 2,000 deer, a host of other wildlife such as cheetal, barking deer, four-horned antelope, jungle cat, Asiatic wild cat, wild boar, crocodile, and more than 300 species of birds (both migrant and resident). A walk through the park provides a feeling of walking in a forest as it is a forest area with lots of plants and trees. There are many trails here that lead you to various ...

...read more

At a distance of 8 km from Bhimbetka, and 51 km from Bhopal, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, and among the major places to visit as part of Bhimbetka Tour Packages.

Situated in Vindhya Range in central India, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary stretches across 823 sq. km in the Raisen and Sehore districts of Madhya Pradesh. The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1976 and got the status of tiger reserve under the Project Tiger by the Government of India recently. The landscape is undulating, with hills, plateaus, valleys, and plains. Many seasonal streams irrigate the site in the monsoon, and water is retained in some pools along these streams even in the summer. Two large reservoirs, namely Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam (Barrusot lake) are among the major water bodies adjacent to or inside the sanctuary.

The forest of Ratapani is a dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak (Tectona grandis) as the main tree species. About 55% of the area is covered by teak, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the finest teak forests in Madhya Pradesh. The regal striped cat is the apex predator here and estimates suggest that 40 tigers roam these forests. Besides, the sanctuary is also home to animals like Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, ...

...read more