Panna National Park

About Panna National Park

Panna National Park spreads across the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and covers roughly 542.67 square kilometres. It became the twenty-second tiger reserve in India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh. In 2007 the Ministry of Tourism judged it the best managed and maintained national park in the country and gave it an Award of Excellence.

What distinguishes Panna from the state's other big reserves is the landscape. The Ken river runs through the park and has cut gorges and ravines into the plateau, so safari tracks move between flat teak forest, open grass and sudden drops to water. Alongside tigers the park holds leopard and smaller cats, chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara and more than two hundred recorded bird species. The river itself supports gharial and crocodile.

Most visitors come on a jeep safari, which takes about three hours and is booked to a fixed morning or afternoon slot. Boating on the Ken is a separate, quieter way to see the same country from the water.

Wildlife and landscape

Tigers and other predators

Panna is a tiger reserve, and leopard also occurs here along with smaller cats. Sightings are never guaranteed on any single safari; the usual advice of two or three drives across different slots applies.

Deer and antelope

Chital are the commonest animal on the tracks, with sambar in the heavier forest, nilgai on the open ground and chinkara, the Indian gazelle, in drier scrub. Where the herds gather, predators follow.

The Ken river and its gorges

The Ken cuts through the reserve in a series of gorges that open up suddenly off the forest tracks. The river holds crocodile and gharial, and the cliffs above it are good for raptors and for vultures.

Birds

Over two hundred species have been recorded. The river edges, the open grass and the teak each hold a different set, so a morning drive can turn up a wide list without much effort.

Planning your visit

Safaris run in fixed morning and afternoon slots with a limited number of vehicles per gate, so permits need to be booked ahead, especially in the winter season.

• Book safari permits in advance; walk-in slots are rarely available in peak months.
• Carry photo identification matching the permit for every person in the vehicle.
• Mornings are colder than visitors expect from November to February; bring layers you can shed.
• Khajuraho is the usual base and makes a comfortable day out, though staying nearer the gate lets you take the first morning slot.

Best time to visit

The park season runs through the dry months and is closed during the monsoon. October and November give green forest and pleasant weather. February to April is the better stretch for sighting large animals, as water sources shrink and movement concentrates near the river. May is hot but productive for the same reason.