Panna Tiger Reserve

Madhya Pradesh

Lush emerald green forests, deep ravines, open plateaus and cascading waterfalls welcome you into their folds. Captivated one forgets that, as with most Indian wildlife reserves, Panna too was originally a hunting reserve owned by the Maharaja of Panna. It was granted National Park status in 1981. The boundary of the 540 square kilometre park is marked by the broad and rocky River Ken which flows through the Vindhya range in Madhya Pradesh towards the Ganges, a river full of life from crocodiles that bask on its sandy banks to white -necked storks and kingfishers that fish in its waters. It’s also a park of epic and well-charted conservation struggles. Diamond and sandstone mining was gravely affecting the park and by the 1990’s it was in deep trouble. Experts turned around its fortunes by the turn of century, but by 2009 tigers were again poached to extinction. Recent relocation efforts have been remarkably successful and tiger numbers grow year on year with over 30 in...dividual adults today, many accustomed to visitors. However leopards still abound, alongside a good population of sambar deer, nilgai and spotted deer to feed this success story. According to legends, the Pandavas of the epic Mahabharata spent a part of their exile in these forests. The Pandava Falls near the park have a beautiful lake and shrines dedicated to these gods in the surrounding cliffs. Entry gates are located at Madla and Hinauta Read more