"A place I have visited"

Kanha: The bleeding heart of India

INDIA | Friday, 28 June 2013 | Views [1450] | View Larger Image

Langra: The one who limps – is a dominant male tiger from Kanha, who injured his paw in a fight over territory. There are far more male tigers in Kanha than females, prompting infighting and killing of cubs to bring the latter back into the breeding cycle. This also results in male tigers here having unnaturally large territories, increasing the risk of human contact and poaching.

Beneath the grass:

A century ago, this was the forest that inspired British novelist Rudyard Kipling to write the ‘Jungle Book’. Today, on the meadows of Kanha, only 3 of the 17 variety of grass once found here survive. Being one of the areas with the highest tiger density in the world, these seemingly small changes can deeply impact the deer population – the tiger’s main prey in these woods.

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Vanishing Vermin:

Two decade ago, White Rumped Vultures were so numerous in India that they were almost considered vermin. Today, poisoned by DICLOFENAC, a painkiller administered to cattle, their population has plummeted by over 90%. But in Kanha, they are safe because the park has few cows and breeding pairs of the critically endangered scavenger are often spotted high up on Sal (Shorea robusta) trees.

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"A place I have visited"

Kanha: The bleeding heart of India

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