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Phen Wildlife Sanctuary (henceforth referred to as Phen) is a satellite micro core of Kanha Tiger Reserve that has been under the control of Kanha Tiger Reserve since 1990. Phen was designated as a sanctuary by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1983 and covers an area of 110.74 square kilometers. Phen is encircled by the Motinala buffer and territorial ranges, which connect it to the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
The Kanha-Achanakmar corridor is connected to Kanha via the buffer ranges (Motinala and Mawai) in the east and north, respectively.
Kanha Tiger Reserve:
Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha National Park, is one of India’s tiger reserves and the state of Madhya Pradesh’s largest national park. The current Kanha region was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, each covering 250 km2 and 300 km2. Kanha National Park was established on June 1, 1955, and the Kanha Tiger Reserve was established in 1973. It now covers 940 square kilometers in the two districts of Mandla and Balaghat. This makes it Central India’s largest National Park. Kanha Tiger Reserve was named one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world.
Geography and Climate of Phen Wildlife Sanctuary:
The sanctuary is located on the northern edge of Kanha Tiger Reserve (22° 16′ 8.84″ N, 81° 5′ 38.8″ E). The entire sanctuary’s landscape is steep, with little dips strewn around. Unlike Kanha, though, the grassland areas are much smaller.
Phen, like other parts of the landscape, has three different seasons: summer, winter, and monsoon. Phen’s forest type is primarily a mix of deciduous and Sal-dominated woodland. The sanctuary’s forest is contiguous with the forest of Madhya Pradesh’s Mawai range and Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha division on the sanctuary’s northern and southeast borders.
Flora and Fauna:
- Over 1000 types of flowering plants can be found in Kanha Tiger Reserve. The sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed-forest trees that make up the lowland forest are interspersed with meadows.
- The tropical damp, dry deciduous woods of the highlands are very different from the bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) that grows on the slopes. A remarkable Indian ghost tree (Davidia involucrata) can also be found in the deep jungle.
- Tiger, leopard, wild boar, chital, sambar, Nilgai, jackal, and panther are among the major animal species found here. It is also home to a great number of different birds.
The difference between Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks:
Wildlife Sanctuaries (WNS) are designated areas dedicated to the protection and conservation of a single bird or wild animal species. The preservation of the species in issue can be done for a specific length of time or all year. These natural habitats in India may be held by the government or by private organizations. They’re a bit smaller in stature.
National Parks (NP) are government-owned protected areas dedicated to maintaining, preserving, and enhancing the flora and wildlife of one or more species. The size of India’s national parks exceeds that of its wildlife sanctuaries.
Declaration as Buffer zone:
The Government of India began ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973 to safeguard tigers in India. Initially, Project Tiger only covered eight Tiger reserves, but it has since grown to 47. In India, a tiger assessment is carried out every four years. The National Tiger Conservation Authority conducts a tiger census in all of India’s tiger reserves (NTCA).
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) conducts a census to determine the number of tigers in 50 tiger reserves dispersed across the country’s 18 tiger-reigning states. Recently, The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to create Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, a Kanha Tiger Reserve buffer zone.
Future of Phen Wildlife Sanctuary:
With an effective network of patrolling camps, forest roads, and intensive patrols by frontline staff and ex-army men, the protection of this protected area has been significantly strengthened in recent years. In 1996, eight illegal but permanent cattle camps were evicted amicably, and in 2014, the only forest village, Sajalagan, was relocated outside to reclaim a large chunk of forest land that is now being developed as an excellent grassland for herbivores in general and the hard ground barasingha in particular.
The Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary’s management also intends to reintroduce the barasingha. To speed up the recovery process, the sanctuary’s management is increasing the number of spotted deer.
A small field training facility with a guesthouse is also being built to train frontline workers in fieldcraft and raise conservation awareness among students and locals. A precise ecotourism plan for the animal sanctuary has also been developed, and regular tourism has begun to relieve tourist pressure on the Kanha tiger reserve’s core zone. Also, there are hopes to eventually integrate the entire Phen wildlife sanctuary into the Kanha tiger reserve’s Critical Tiger Habitat.
Conclusion:
Kanha Tiger Reserve has a core area of 940 km2, a buffer zone of 1009 km2, and a satellitic micro-core called the Phen Wildlife Sanctuary. A one-day journey to the neighboring Phen Sanctuary offers access to infrequently visited locations with aesthetically breathtaking panoramas and excellent ornithological opportunities, as well as the opportunity to see the 22 species of mammals present in Kanha and Phen.
