Tiger Travel in Panna National Park

Tiger travel to India has focused, in the past, on a limited number of major national parks and reserves at the expense of the many other reserves (and their surrounding regions) across the country that would also benefit from wildlife tourism. The major parks and reserves are excellent places to witness the animal in the wild and support its conservation, but it is also possible to see and support this majestic cat in lesser-known parks. One such place for Tiger travel tours is Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Panna National Park

Declared in 1994 as the 22nd reserve of India, Panna National Park has an area of 543 square kilometres. It has had to overcome several difficulties in its history. For many years, Indian organisations, including the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), lobbied the state government of Madhya Pradesh to put a stop to the illegal mining that threatened the environment of the region surrounding Panna. Their efforts at last achieved success, with beneficial consequences for the big cats and other wildlife inhabiting the park — and for wildlife enthusiasts on Tiger travel tours.

Visiting Panna

Though it has experienced difficulties, Panna National Park is now an excellent destination and is one of the finest places in India to enjoy abundant wildlife. It is a beacon of hope for other parks and reserves facing similar struggles to those overcome in Panna. The star attraction of a visit to Panna is the Tiger, and the park’s population provides opportunities to see the iconic cat in the wild.

The great diversity of Panna National Park makes a visit rewarding for all wildlife enthusiasts. Its landscape is largely forested with dry deciduous trees, but it contains beautiful areas of rolling hills and plateaux, with grassy meadows, gorges and waterfalls. The waters of the Ken River roll through Panna with a verdant green forest along the shores, allowing extensive wildlife viewing by boat - including an abundance of water birds and many large Marsh Mugger Crocodiles.

By jeep and elephant-back, exploration of the park affords the opportunity to see Sambar, Nilgai, Spotted Deer, Wild Boar and troupes of Common Langurs, with the possibility of seeing the elusive Chousingha and Chinkara Antelopes, the Dhole (Indian Wild Dog) and even a Leopard — and, of course, the magnificent Tiger. Travelling through the park on a night drive in the extensive buffer zone surrounding the park allows wildlife enthusiasts to spotlight some remarkable animals, including the Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal, Jungle and Rusty-spotted Cats, Common Palm Civet, Sloth Bear, Indian Hare and Mottled Wood Owl. Bird watchers will be rewarded with a vibrant array of bird life, including the Painted Sandgrouse, Malabar Pied Hornbill and Crested Serpent Eagle. Up to 200 bird species have been observed in the park, with up to a hundred likely to be observed on a tour.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for Tiger travel, Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to to wildlife tours to some of the most spectacular regions on Earth.

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