Panna National Park complete detail – updated

Panna National Park complete detail – updated. Geography of Panna National Park. Dominant flora and fauna of Panna National Park. How to Reach Panna National Park. The region, famous for its diamond industry, is also home to some of the best wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in the country……….

Total area of the park is about 542.67 Km². It was declared as a National Park in the year of 1981. The park is known worldwide for its wildlife including tigers, deer, antelope, vultures, wolf, Chinkara, Cheetal and lots more. 

Ken River flows through this reserve and creates beautiful waterfalls on its way to the valley. The bio-diversity in this national park is extremely rich. The vegetation of this region is mixed with uneven terrain with scrubby vegetation and grass, rocky landscape gathered along with hundreds verities of trees and shrubs…………..

National park is an area which is strictly reserved for the betterment of the wildlife & biodiversity, and where activities like developmental, forestry, poaching, hunting and grazing on cultivation are not permitted. Their boundaries are well marked and circumscribed.

Panna National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

It was declared a National park in the year of 1981. Total area of the park is about 542.67 Km². Panna National park was declared as 22^nd Tiger Reserve of India and the 5^th in Madhya Pradesh in the year of 1994.

Panna National park was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India.

The region, famous for its diamond industry, is also home to some of the best wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in the country.

Click here to view state wise list of Indian national parks – updated

Being close to Khajuraho that is only 25 km away to the park, a world heritage site which is one of the top most visiting places in India and famous for temples & erotic sculptures, it attracts visitors from Khajuraho if they willing for wildlife excursions.

The vegetation of this region is mixed with uneven terrain with scrubby vegetation and grass, rocky landscape gathered along with hundreds verities of trees and shrubs.

The bio-diversity in this national park is extremely rich. The park is known worldwide for its wildlife, including tigers, deer, antelope, vultures, wolf, Chinkara, Cheetal and lots more.

Ken River flows through this reserve and creates beautiful waterfalls on its way to the valley. The park has numerous sites of historical importance with stone paintings dating back to Neolithic era.

History

In past, Panna National Park was private hunting preserve of erstwhile rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur & Bijawar states.

In 1975, Gangau wildlife sanctuary was created by comprising North & South Panna forest division. In year 1978, Gangau sanctuary was extended by inclusion of Chhatarpur Forest Division.

It was declared a National park in the year of 1981. Panna National park was declared as 22^nd Tiger Reserve of India and the 5^th in Madhya Pradesh in the year of 1994.

The area of Panna also included some of the major parts of the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary which was created in the year 1975.

It is notable that by 2009, the entire tiger population had been eliminated by poaching with the collusion of forest department officials.

In the year of 2009, Mr. R. Shreenivasa Murthy, IFS as field director of Panna Tiger Reserve initiated the task of reintroducing tigers into the park.

In collaboration with WWF and PATA, Murthy introduced two tigers to Panna, one from Bandhavgarh and the other from Panna Tiger Reserve with intricate scientific inputs.

Two female tigers (coded T1, T2) were relocated there from Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National park in March 2009. However, the last male tiger had already disappeared. A committee to look into the disappearance of the tigers was formed.

Panna Tiger Reserve

Panna National park was declared as 22^nd Tiger Reserve of India and the 5^th in Madhya Pradesh in the year of 1994.

It is notable that by 2009, the entire tiger population had been eliminated by poaching with the collusion of forest department officials.

In June 2009, it was officially announced that the Reserve, which had over 40 tigers six years ago, has no tiger left and only two tigresses, which were brought in a while ago.

In an instant being worried about of this debacle, Ministry of Environment and Forest taken a decision in June 2009, to relocate two tigers and two tigresses to the reserve.

In the year of 2009, Mr. R. Shreenivasa Murthy, IFS as field director of Panna Tiger Reserve initiated the task of reintroducing tigers into the park.

In collaboration with WWF and PATA, Murthy introduced two tigers to Panna, one from Bandhavgarh and the other from Panna Tiger Reserve with intricate scientific inputs.

Two female tigers (coded T1, T2) were relocated there from Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National park in March 2009. However, the last male tiger had already disappeared. A committee to look into the disappearance of the tigers was formed.

A tiger male, coded T3, was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve but strayed out of the park shortly thereafter, in November 2009.

The tiger started walking towards its home in Pench National Park, indicating homing instinct. It moved steadily through human dominated landscape without causing any conflict. Forest department staff tracked it continuously for over a month and finally brought it back to the Pench Tiger Reserve.

It then settled well, established territory and started mating. The tigress, T1, translocated from Bandhavgarh National Park, gave birth to four cubs in April 2010 of which 2 survive till date.

The second tigress, T2, translocated from Kanha National Park gave birth to four cubs several months later and all four survive till date.

A third tigress, coded T4, an orphaned cub was reintroduced to Panna in March 2011. She learnt hunting skills with the help of the male and mated with him. She was found dead on 19 September 2014 of an infection caused by its radio collar. Her sister T5 was released in Panna in November 2011.  Thus four tigers and around 10 cubs of up to 2 years are settled in Panna Tiger Reserve at present and their progress is being regularly monitored by the Forest Department.

Geography

Panna National Park is located in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

The park is located on the banks of the River Ken, the park is lush green with deep ravines, cascading waterfalls and thick teak forests. The landscape is rocky, the terrain is uneven and the vegetation comprises of mainly tall grass and scrubby bushes.

The reserved forests of the Reserve in Panna district and some protected forests on Chhatarpur district were the hunting preserves of the erstwhile rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states.

The area of Gangau Sanctuary is the part of the territorial forests of the present North Panna Forest division to which a portion of the Chhatarpur Forest division was also added later.

Panna National Park and the surrounding territorial forest area of North and South Panna forest division is the only large chunk of wildlife habitat remaining in North Madhya Pradesh in the otherwise fragmented forest landscape of the region.

The National Park is situated at a point where the continuity of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest belt, which starts from Cape Comorin in South India, is broken and beyond this the Upper Gangetic Plains Moist deciduous forest of the great Indo-Gangetic Plain begins.

The reserve stands hidden in the shadows of the Khajuraho figurines and the famed diamond mines nearby that threaten to strip the area of its vast resources.

Longitude – 79°45′ E to 80°09′ E

Latitude – 24°27′ N to 24°46′ N

Altitude – 212 m to 538 m above MSL

Seasons

Winter – November to February

Summer – March to Mid-June

Monsoon – Mid-June to October

Temperature –     Maximum – 45^o C

                               Minimum – 5^o C

Average rainfall – 1100 mm

Dominant flora

Major forest types are dry mixed forest, Dry Deciduous forest, riverine, open grasslands, open woodlands with tall grasses and thorny woodlands.

Trees – Tectona grandis, Diospyros melanoxylon, Madhuca indica, Buchnania latifolia, Anogeissus latifolia, Anogeissus pendula, Lannea coromandelica, Bosswelia serrata etc. 

Shrubs – Lantana camera, Grewia sp., Nyctanthus arbortristis, Ixora sp., Zyziphus mauritiana, Zyziphus oenoplea, etc.

Grasses – Apluda mutica, Themeda quadrivalvis, Meteropogon contortus, Arishtida sp. etc.

Dominant fauna

Mammals – Tiger, Leopard, Chinkara, Nilgai, Hyena, Jackal, Rhesus monkey, Indian deer, Chital, Chausingha, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara , Wild dog, Wolf, Hyena, Cats etc.

Birds – Long Billed Vulture, White Backed Vulture, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Eurasian Vulture, Paradise Flycatcher, Pond Heron, White-necked Stork, Honey Buzzard, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Peafowls, Spotted Doves, Bare-headed Goose, Lark, Pipit, Minivets, Partridges, Peregrine Falcon, Lesser Adjutant, Black drongo, Pied Myna, Bulbul, Indian Baya weaver, Crow Pheasants, Cuckoo, Kingfishers, Indian Roller etc.

Other Attractions

Raneh Falls

Ken Gharial Reserve

Pandav waterfall

Mahamati Prannathji Temple

Shri Gummatji

Madla Village

Ajaygarh Fort

Nachna City

Safari

The Park is open for visitors from 16-October to 30-June (dates may get changed According to rainy season by Forest Department).

An hour long boat ride offered by the park authorities is a good option to catch a glimpse of water predators and other animals around the lake.

Elephant rides are also offered in morning game drives.

On every Wednesday, park remain closed for evening safari round.

Timings

Morning – 6.00 AM to 10.30 AM

Evening – 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Fee

Entry fee

Indians – Rs. 40/- per person

Foreigners – Rs. 500/- per person

Jeep Safari

Rs. 1500/- for half day

Camera

Still – Rs. 40/-

Video – Rs. 200/-

Guide fee – Rs. 100/- per vehicle

Private vehicle entry fee – Rs. 150/-

Boat Ride – Rs. 150/- (Indians, 1-5 pax), and Rs. 150/- per person (Foreigners)

Elephant Safari – Rs. 100/- per person (Indians) and Rs. 600/- per person (Foreigners)

Night Safari – Rs. 1800/- per jeep (including entry fee)

Panna National Park safari booking can be done online as well as from booking counter. Park management issues maximum 63 safari tickets for single round of jungle safari. It means maximum 63 vehicles can go inside at a particular safari time which is more than enough.

State wise list of Wildlife Sanctuaries of India – updated 

Best time to visit

The best time of the year to visit the Panna National Park is between the months of November to June.

How to Reach

By Air – Nearest airport is Khajuraho airport, about 27 Km from the Panna National Park. Khajuraho airport is well connected by road to Panna National Park.

By Rail – Nearest railway station is Satna railway station, about 70 Km from the Panna National Park. Satna railway station is well connected by road to Panna National Park.

By Road – Panna National Park is well connected to Major Cities and Places by road network. There are a number of government and privately operated vehicles that go to Panna National Park at frequent intervals.

Accommodation

Tourist lodges are available in the vicinity of the park for accommodation.

Useful contacts

The Tourist Information Office,
Government of India,
Near Western Group of Temples,
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
Tel.: 07686-2047/ 2048.

Useful Websites

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g297647-d455599-Reviews-Panna_National_Park-Khajuraho_Madhya_Pradesh.html

http://www.tajhotels.com/luxury/taj-safaris/pashan-garh-panna-national-park/overview.html

Other National Parks in Madhya Pradesh. Name of National Parks, Year of Notification and Total Area is as follows………