Panna National Park Abode of The Tigers

 Panna National Park Abode of The Tigers

Panna National Park

Situated in the District of Chhattrpur and Panna in Madhya Pradesh the park is home to amazing biodiversity in India. A large part of the reserve encompasses Panna District famous for its diamond mines. 

It is both a tiger reserve and a National Park in Central India. It was declared the 22nd tiger reserve of India under the aegis of the Project Tiger Program. The latter is a conservation initiative for saving critically endangered tigers. In the process, the Panna ecosystem and its biodiversity have been saved for eternity. It is also known as a protected area. The National Park has two core zone divided between the districts Panna and Chhattarpur. Along with South and Northern Panna the National Park is the chunk of forests remaining in North Madya Pradesh. The reserve lies in the Vindhya Range which converges with Satpura Range at Maikal Hills. 

The park is divided into an inviolate core and a buffer. The latter is a multiple-use area with a forest cover and supports wildlife including the tigers. In the buffer agriculture, tribal settlement, and livestock rearing in permitted. No heavy industry or major commercial activity is allowed except wildlife lodges pertaining to certain rules and regulations. Most of these lodges have been created before the establishment of the protected area.    

Waters from Ken River Sanctuary are the lifeline of Panna National Park. The river sanctuary is home to gharial, marsh crocodiles, and freshwater fishes. 

Panna Wilderness

Wild animals found in the reserve are the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, chinkara, axis deer, sambar, fox, hyena, jackal, and Nilgai. The smaller animals found here are the jungle cat, civet cat, porcupine, and pangolin. The park is home to more than 200 species of birds including the Himalayan Vulture, red-headed vulture, shama, orange-headed ground thrush, racket-tailed drongo, red jungle fowl, black-naped monarch, verditor flycatcher, serpent eagle and changeable hawk-eagle and more can be seen on the game rounds.  

Safari is organized at Panna National Park in the core zone and the buffer zone. You can book a tiger safari at Panna on the MPOnline Website. Since the entry of safari jeeps is limited you should book much in advance.