The reserve is home to a variety of mammals including tigers, leopards, wild dogs, foxes, jackals, swamp deer, Indian gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, nilgai, striped hyena, sloth bear, jungle cat, civets, porcupine, honey badger and hares.
In addition Kanha Tiger Reserve attracts over 300 species of birds, among which are- cattle egrets, drongos, lesser adjutant, little grebes, crested serpent eagle, blossom headed parakeet, red-wattled lapwing, white-breasted kingfisher, Tickell’s blue flycatcher, wood shrikes. Reptiles like the Indian python, cobra, kraits, vipers, keel backs also call Kanha their home.