Panna National Park
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Panna National Park
In the Shadow of the Rajahs
Location: Madya Pradesh, India
Disappearing Places > From the Mountains to the Prairies > It's a Jungle
Information: Panna National Park Madla Village ☎ 91/7732/252-134;
Airport: Khajuraho
Lodging: Ken River Lodge 2 stars Village Madla, District Panna ☎ 91/7732/27-5235; Jass Trident 3 stars By-Pass Rd., Khajuraho ☎ 91/7686/27-2344; www.oberoihotels.com
Airport: Khajuraho
Lodging: Ken River Lodge 2 stars Village Madla, District Panna ☎ 91/7732/27-5235; Jass Trident 3 stars By-Pass Rd., Khajuraho ☎ 91/7686/27-2344; www.oberoihotels.com
Poaching is a threat to the tigers of panna national park. However, the threat is not as immediate or as great as indicated by reports in 2005, which claimed that the tigers at Panna had been virtually wiped out by poachers. A government re-census found a healthy population of tigers, and the false reports were traced to rumors started by local people who were unhappy with park officials.
Back in the days of the rajahs, this spread of jungle, forest, and grassland along the Ken River was a royal hunting ground, a shikargah, where tigers were protected only so that they could wind up as a trophy adorning some prince's palace. Today, the tigers can rest a little more easily. Panna is now a national park and Project Tiger reserve, close to the extraordinary ruined temples of Khajuraho and Asia's largest diamond mines.
At least 25 Bengal tigers prowl this protected valley, along with plenty of the sort of prey tigers have a taste for—nilgai, Indian gazelles, chital, sambar, and four-horned antelope. Though the park is relatively small, within that compact space the habitats are varied, which allows tigers (and the leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, and wolves who compete for the same prey) to venture onto the grasslands for hunting and then slip back into the jungle and deep ravines for safety. And because the park is small, tiger sightings are fairly frequent. Elephant rides are a popular way to track the tigers, and an exciting experience even if the tigers don't reveal themselves.
In this dry, hot region, the jungle you'll venture into looks much different than a rainforest jungle—deciduous trees like teak, Indian ebony, and flame-of-the-forest grow thickly here, along with several flowering species. Blossom-headed parakeets and paradise flycatchers dart around the jungle, with peacocks—India's national bird—strutting their stuff on the forest floor. Bar-headed geese and white-necked storks dabble around in the river, while the king vulture and honey buzzard patrol the tawny grasslands, looking for whatever carrion the hyenas haven't picked clean.
If you can stand the heat—and summers can be scorching here, until the monsoons begin in July—early summer is often the best time for wildlife sightings. Even animals who normally live outside the park wander in from the parched countryside, seeking the river's cool water. And when they come, the tigers will be lying in wait.
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Panna National Park
| Panna National Park Panna Tiger Reserve |
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| — national park — | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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| Coordinates | 24°43′49.60″N 80°00′36.80″E / 24.730444°N 80.010222°ECoordinates: 24°43′49.60″N 80°00′36.80″E / 24.730444°N 80.010222°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District(s) | Panna, Chhatarpur |
| Established | 1981 |
| Nearest city | Panna, Khajuraho (25 km (16 mi)) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
542.67 square kilometres (209.53 sq mi) • 540 metres (1,770 ft) |
| Climate • Precipitation |
• 1,100 mm (43 in) |
| Visitation | 22,563 (2009) |
| Governing body | Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Project Tiger, Madhya Pradesh |
| Website | Panna National Park |
Panna National Park is a national park located in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It has an area of 542.67 km2 (209.53 sq mi). It was declared in 1994 as the twenty second Tiger reserve of India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh,[1] Panna was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India.[1] It is notable that by 2009, the entire tiger population had been eliminated by poaching with the collusion of forest department officials.[2][3]
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Biome
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 forests belt, which starts from Cape Comorin in South India, is broken and beyond this the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests of the great Indo-Gangetic Plain begins. This area is the northern most tip of the natural teak forests and the eastern most tip of the natural 'Kardhai' Anogeissus pendula forests.
The forests of Panna National Park along with Ken Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining territorial divisions form a significant part of the catchment area of the 406 km (252 mi) Ken River which runs northeast for about 72 km (45 mi) through the park.[1] Terrain in Panna National Park is undulating and heavily forested with many streams and waterfalls.[4]
Fauna
Among the animals found here are the tiger, chital, chinkara, sambhar and sloth bear. The park is home to more than 200 species of birds including the Bar-headed Goose, Honey Buzzard, King Vulture and Blossom-headed Parakeet.[4]
Tiger reserve
Panna National Park was declared as one of the Tiger reserves of India in 1994/95 and placed under the protection of Project Tiger.[5][6] The decline of tiger population in Panna has been reported several times.[7][dead link][8][9] Two female tigers were relocated there from Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National Park in March 2009. However, the last male tiger had already disappeared.[10] A committee to look into the disappearance of the tigers was formed.[11]
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[12] In February 2012, three years after the entire tiger population of the reserve was eliminated, the Madhya Pradesh government had not determined responsibility for the debacle, nor had it passed the inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation in spite of requests from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Prime Minister's Office.[13]
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) approved a proposal to translocate two tigers and two tigresses to the reserve. [14] One female each from Bandhavgarh National Park (coded T1) and Kanha National Park (T2) were translocated to Panna Tiger Reserve. [15] A tiger male, coded T3, was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve but strayed out of the park shortly thereafter, in November 2009[16] 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 Panna 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. [17] The second tigress, T2, translocated from Kanha National Park gave birth to four cubs several months later and all four survive till date. [18] A third tigress, coded T4, an orphaned cub was reintroduced to Panna in March 2011.[19] She learnt hunting skills with the help of the male and mated with him. Her sister T5 was released in Panna in November 2011. Both have settled well. [20] Thus five tigers and around 10 cubs of of up to 2 years are settled in Panna Tiger Reserve at present and their progress is being regularly monitored by the Forest Department. This augurs well for the national park and future of tigers in the region.
References
- ^ a b c Field Director, Panna Tiger Reserve. "The Park". Welcome to the official website of Panna Tiger Reserve. Forest department of Madhya Pradesh. http://www.pannatigerreserve.in/park.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Poaching nexus exposed". The Statesman (The Statesman Limited.). 31 October 2011. http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ Poaching Nexus Exposed
- ^ a b "Information on luxury tours and safaris in Panna National Park? Easy Tours of India". Easytoursofindia.com. http://www.easytoursofindia.com/panna_park.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Cabinet approves 5 new Tiger reserve, Live India, 13 January 2011, http://liveindia.tv/india/cabinet-approves-5-new-tiger-reserve/
- ^ "LIST OF TIGER RESERVES IN INDIA", Stripes (New Delhi: Inder Mohan Singh Kathuria on behalf of National Tiger Conservation Authority, Government of India) 2, issue 2: p. 19, January–February 2011, http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/STRIPES%20-%20JAN-FEB%202011.pdf, retrieved 2011-06-21
- ^ [1]
- ^ "fading light". Hindustan Times. India. 24 February 2008. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=897fa85e-5f56-41ec-a202-23ac52825cce. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "Govt orders probe into missing Panna tiger – Times Of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 28 March 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/Earth/Flora--Fauna/articlelist/articleshow/4324877.cms. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Panel to look into disappearance of tiger – Times Of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 9 May 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/Earth/Flora--Fauna/Panel-to-look-into-disappearance-of-tiger/articleshow/4503683.cms. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ It's official: Panna reserve has no tiger The Times of India, 14 June 2009.
- ^ Mahim Pratap Singh (7 February 2012). "CBI probe for Panna tiger debacle stuck at the lowest level". The Hindu (Bhopal: The Hindu). http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2869203.ece. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Centre clears translocation of 4 big cats to Panna". The Indian Express. India. 27 June 2009. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centre-clears-translocation-of-4-big-cats-to/481822/. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Murthy, R. S. (2012). Panna Turnaround Story. Panna: Panna Tiger Reserve. pp. 6.
- ^ "Desperately tracking a stray tiger in Panna reserve – Times Of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 21 December 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Desperately-tracking-a-stray-tiger-in-Panna-reserve-/articleshow/5360544.cms. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Murthy, R. S. (2012). Panna Turnaround Story. Panna: Panna Tiger Reserve. pp. 6.
- ^ Murthy, R. S. (2012). Panna Turnaround Story. Panna: Panna Tiger Reserve. pp. 6.
- ^ "Panna reserve gets another tigress". The Indian Express. India. 28 March 2011. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/panna-reserve-gets-another-tigress/768176/. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Murthy, R. S. (2012). Panna Turnaround Story. Panna: Panna Tiger Reserve. pp. 6.
External links
See also
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