Panna National Park, India
The Panna Tiger Reserve is situated in the Vindhya Mountain Ranges and sprawls over Panna and Chattarpur districts in the north of the state. Panna National Park is the 22nd Tiger Reserve of India and 5th in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The National Park holds the areas from the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary created in year 1975. The Gangau Sanctuary constitutes of territorial forests of the present North and South Panna Forest Division to which a portion of the adjoining Chhatarpur forest division was included later. The reserved forests of the Park in Panna district and some protected forests on Chhatarpur side were the hunting grounds of the former rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states in the past. The reserve is located on either sides of the Ken river which rushes from south to north through the Lower Vindhyan Formations within the park.
Fauna The predominant species that inhabits the park is the deer, of which the most easily sighted are the graceful little Chinkara the Indian gazelle, and the Chital. Other species that have their habitat in the park are Nilgai, Sambar, Chausingha or four-horned Antelope, Blackbuck, Sloth Bear, Leopard and the ubiquitous common Langur, Tiger, Leopard, striped Hyaena, Jackal, Jungle Cat, Chital, Nilgai, four-horned Antelope or Chowsingha, Wild Boar, Chinkara or mountain Gazelle, Gazella, crocodile and others.
Avi-fauna Panna National Park is equally rich in avifauna. The artificial lake, Chandpata, is the winter home of migratory Geese, Pochard, Pintail, Teal, Mallard Red Wattled Lapwing, Large Pied Wagtail, Pond Heron, White - Breasted Kingfisher, Cormorant, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Laggar Falcon, Purple Sun bird, Paradise Flycatcher and Golden Oriole.
How to Reach By Air : The nearest airport is at Khajuraho at a distance of around 57 km from the Panna National Park. There are daily domestic flights available to Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi from Khajuraho.
By Rail : Satna, at a distance of around 90 km, is the nearest railway station. It is a major railway hub and is connected to many places in central and western India, the most important of them being Mumbai at a distance of 1,540 km.
By Road : The park is well connected with the other parts of the region by a good network of roads. Distances of some important places in India from the Panna Tiger Reserve are Khajuraho 57 km, Bhopal 727 km, Delhi 889 km.
National Parks of India