Van Vihar National Park

About this place

Maintained and administered by Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh, Van Vihar National Park is spread across an area of 445 hectares. More of a zoo than a sanctuary, this place houses a variety of animals, orphaned or brought from other parts of the state or exchanges from other zoos. Even though Van Vihar was declared to be a national park in 1983, it has been developed and managed as a modern zoological park, featuring a natural habitat that houses both carnivores and herbivores. This one of a kind national park allows herbivores to roam freely while the carnivores are kept inside enclosed areas, bounded by trenches and walls so as to prevent poaching. The dietary needs of the animals are taken care of, for example the captives like panther, tiger, lion and more are fed on mutton while the free ranging animals like chital, black buck, sambar and blue bull are feed grass and other plant species growing within Van Vihar National Park. Apart from these, Van Vihar National Park is also home to several animals belonging to endangered species. The varied flora and wilderness of the park also makes an ideal place for avian fauna, consisting of over 200 species of birds migrating to the park during the winter season, along with a variety of butterflies and insects.