Both the Banjar and Halon valleys were reserved as exclusive hunting grounds for the British. These areas supported large numbers of the swamp deer or hardground barasingha. When over hunting led to their numbers being depleted, the forests were closed to shikar in 1931. In 1933 Kanha valley was gazetted as a sanctuary with an area of about 250 sq. kms (96 sq. miles). In 1935 the adjoining Halon valley around Supkhar with an area of 300 sq. kms (116 sq. miles) was given the status of a sanctuary and was attached to Kanha. With the protection given to them, the deer population began to increase and they caused extensive damage to tree saplings and villagers' crops. This resulted in the Supkhar sanctuary being denotified. Subsequently, the Banjar valley alone retained the Sanctuary status.