Catching glimpse of a majestic tiger in all its glory is one of the most thrilling experiences for all wildlife lovers. The pursuit of this magnificent huge cat brings vacationers from across the globe to India’s tiger reserves. One of the country’s most iconic tiger reserves is Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park situated in the Vindhyachal mountain ranges, on the banks of Ken river and it covers an location of 542.67 sq km. Last year, in November, Panna was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Union Minister for Environment and Forests congratulated the reserve for its tiger conservation work.
The Panna Tiger Reserve has a outstanding story of turnaround in its huge cat population, in particular that of tigers. The quantity of tigers in the reserve improved to 50 in 2020 from close to extinction in a decade. Reserve authorities began Tiger Reintroduction Project in 2009 and brought 5 female and two male tigers from Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks. This resulted in an exemplary turnaround in the quantity of felines in Panna.
Panna is a vital tiger habitat in the dry deciduous forests on North central India. Spread across vast plateaus and dotted with beautiful gorges, Panna tiger reserve has some spectacular attractions for all wildlife lovers which includes wealthy flaura and fauna, picturesque landscape, waterfalls and more. Panna Tiger Reserve is the organic habitat of quite a few wildlife species which includes sloth bear, Indian wolf, Pangolin, Leopard, Gharial, Indian fox and quite a few more. It also has some uncommon archeological web pages exactly where vacationers get to see stone carvings which date back to the Neolithic era. Ken River cuts by way of the reserve supplying eye-catching scenes of unparalleled beauty.
Tiger, the king of beasts, guidelines the reserve. Getting to see this mighty huge cat is what drives vacationers to this forest and they type of know it and make no try to be humble about it. They relish their fame and make all the vacationers wait with bated breath, just for that one glimpse. Sighting a tiger completes the trip for vacationers, it is the ultimate thrill and keeps the adrenaline rushing. It is the icing on the cake and the cake itself!
Another huge cat, leopard, also roams in this jungle, hunting quietly in the dark of evening. Getting to see leopard in action is a uncommon sight and these who opt for evening safari have a tendency to get fortunate.
Apart from the two huge cats, spotting crocodiles in the Ken river and uncommon vultures are other important attraction for vacationers. Boat safari is preferred by vacationers to catch each the land and water predator, i.e., the huge cats coming to drink water and crocodiles, with each other. Ken Ghariyal sanctuary is a organic habitat of these cold-blooded underwater hunters. Out of the nine vulture species identified in India, seven species are identified in Panna. The tiger reserve has a giant gorge identified as Vulture point exactly where the huge birds can be noticed in their habitat.
The Panna forest has teak and Kardhai trees in abundance but the tree that stands out in this jungle is the gum tree or the ghost tree for its white look. This magnificent tree, know as Kullu by the locals, has quite a few other names as effectively which includes gum karaya, katira, sterculia gum or kateera gum. Scientifically identified as Sterculia Urens stands out in the day due to its colour and shines like a scary white shadow in the moonlight. For six months its bark turns pinkish to white. It is supply of organic gum which is typically extracted by cutting back the bark, or by creating gashes in the trunk with an axe. Other trees that are typically identified in Panna are tendu, mahua, sajal, bel and salai. Elephant grasses are identified in abundance in the patches of grasslands across the forest.
Visiting Panna Tiger Reserve: Located 25 Km from Khajuraho and 182 KM from Jhansi, Panna tiger reserve can be reached by National Highway 39 connecting Jhansi to Panna Town through Chhatarpur. The nearest airport is Khajuraho which is also the nearest railhead as effectively. Best time to pay a visit to is from October to March.