“Ma’am, be silent. There’s some activity going on here. Maintain absolute silence. No movement at all”, said our guide during the evening safari in Panna Tiger Reserve in 2021.

We heeded his advice & stood still. No movement at all. One could hear the soft rustle of leaves or a bee buzzing nearby. A Sambhar deer was standing a few feet away from us in a super-alert mode, ready to take off. There was a wild animal nearby. Perhaps a Tiger? But no, it couldn’t have been a Tiger. Tigers don’t hide. They show themselves. This one was hiding behind the bushes. We were trying to scan the thick, Green foliage with our eyes but couldn’t spot anything. And then our guide spoke.

“Sir, Sir. It’s a leopard. Check it out. There! Behind the bushes. He is sitting.”

And he handed over his binoculars to my husband who immediately spotted the leopard. Then came my turn to sight the sneaky yet spectacular ‘panthera pardus’. Before we could click the pictures, the leopard sensed our presence and moved deeper into the bushes. We lost track of him but went back home, happy. 🙂 We had spotted a Leopard at least if not a Tiger. The four safaris in Panna were not a complete waste.

Two years later, in January 2023, I went to Panna Tiger Reserve again. By then, we had become more experienced with Jungles and Safaris, and my husband had grown into a wildlife expert, of sorts. I was quite confident that I would be able to sight a Tiger this time around. As luck would have it, I did sight a Tigress. 🙂 However, this blogpost is not about that Tigress but about the beautiful forest of Panna that houses Tigers, Leopards, Deer, Bears and a host of other magnificent animals and birds.

From the land of diamonds; Panna Tiger Reserve

Panna is a humble city in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh (one of the 28 Indian states). This small city has a rich history & a long list of famous items, of which the most famous ones are Diamond mines, Temples and Tigers.

Out of these three, I am the most fascinated with Tigers. I am sure most of us are. In my 35 year long journey on this planet, I am yet to meet a person who would call Tigers boring or ugly or uninteresting.

A Tiger is so magnificent and spectacular that you can’t notice anything else in this world when you are in its vicinity. Your environment automatically dims down when the Tiger enters. Without needing a workshop on ‘Executive Presence’, the Tiger captures 100% of its audience. 🤓🤓

Home to Caracal, Jungle Cat, Asian Palm Civet, Red-headed Vulture, Indian Vulture & many more other species of animals and birds, Panna Tiger Reserve is every inch spectacular with its Teakwood & Catechu* trees, Ken river & old rock paintings

*Kattha – an ingredient used in the Indian paan (betel leaf preparation)usually eaten after the meal

Divided across Madla & Hinouta core zones, the forest appears more appealing if you enter from Madla Gate 😀 :D. Once you are inside the park, you will realise that there are various landmarks inside the forest such as Judi Nala. 😝 Guides often track the movement of a Tiger around these landmarks. If nothing, the conversations sure sound entertaining.

Do visit & check out for yourself! 🐯 🐯

Resurgence of Panna Tiger Reserve:

After being declared a Tiger Reserve in 1994, Panna grew manifold as a forest so much so that it was given the award of excellence in 2007.

But then sadly, by 2009, all Tigers of Panna were poached. There were no longer any Tigers in the national park that was called Panna Tiger Reserve.

I don’t think there could have been anything more shameful than this.

India had lost many of its gems and treasures to such acts of greed & unscrupulous behaviour in the past, and the Tigers of Panna fell prey to it.

Over the years, many of the other Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh shifted their Tigers to Panna in the hope of reviving the population. After a long series of sincere efforts, it worked. 🙂 Panna Tiger Reserve has around 60 Tigers today (as per the last count).

Our forests are part of our heritage that makes us unique & incredible. We must protect them at all costs. This includes keeping them clean, quiet & peaceful. The only noise in a Jungle must be of the wildlife. The only powerful being in the forest must be the one living there 24*7. The forest belongs to them and they belong in the forest, not in zoos, not in our jewellery, not on the walls & not in the ingredient list of magical potions and medicines.

A beautiful forest with some brilliant guides

The Jungle Safaris in Madhya Pradesh are long. They start early in the morning with Sunrise and only end when the Sun becomes unbearable and you can’t take it anymore. A safari of 4-5 hours is long enough for most wildlife enthusiasts and quite energy draining for guides & drivers.

But then, the guides of Panna are not ordinary. They have stories and experiences. They tell you about the times when they looked into the eyes of the Tiger, fearlessly. They tell you to not get scared. So what, if the Tiger is the King/ Queen of the Jungle? 😝😝 But the moment the guides sense that you (the visitor) is becoming too fearless, they change the channel & start telling you the stories of how Tigers hunt, how mercilessly they approach the ‘kill’ and how anyone who doesn’t have paws or long canine teeth should be scared of Tigers 🤓🤓

Located in Vindhya hills, this piece of land is extremely beautiful with its waterfalls, plateaus, gorges, vultures taking flight lessons above the gorges (a sight that you won’t see anywhere so easily), alligators lying motionless, Monitor Lizards moving around like gangsters, beautiful Sambhar deer, Spotted deer & Gazelle jumping and running about in joy. And that’s just the beginning. The forest is so huge, so beautiful & so unique that you would need a few safaris & then some more to feel it.

By the way, Panna Tiger Reserve is just 30 kms. away from Khajuraho temples. Yes, these are the same group of temples that are world-famous for the bold depiction of ‘taboo topics’ on the temple walls. If you visit Panna, dedicate a day for Khajuraho too. 😜😜

With this, we end Theme 4. I would have to admit that this was one of my favourites, and I absolutely enjoyed going through my archives and retrieving these experiences that collectively built these theme. To access previous posts on the topic, click the following:

Celebrity Tigers of Ranthambore National Park that attract a global audience

The OG of Tiger Reserves, the beautiful & dense Jim Corbett National Park

Meet us here next week. We will be back with a new theme 😇😇 introducing a new place & a host of experiences within.

Till then, be safe & keep travelling!