Spread over a core area of 576 sq. km as a national park, with an additional 1021sq km as buffer, Panna National Park straddles the districts of Panna and Chhatarpur in northern Madhya Pradesh, close to the border with Uttar Pradesh. The Ken River winds its way for 55 km, forming the western boundary of Panna for some distance, and then running through the park.
Entry is through two gates: Madla and Hinauta. Madla is located on NH 39 (Panna-Khajuraho main road), just past the bridge on Ken River, and is more popular since it is closer to the airport and accommodation is concentrated nearby. The gates are 30 km from each other, and both have little museums with pictographs of the local topography, wildlife distribution, and species of birds found here. Unlike many other reserves, PTR doesn’t have zones; about 20 per cent of the core area is open to tourists via safari trails on which vehicles are free to wander within the region. The PTR is predominantly a dry deciduous forest of mahua, arjuna, tendu, kullu, and kardhai trees, mixed with extensive grasslands
Visitors can alight from the vehicle at several points. At Bhoura Dau, a jetty point on the Ken River, boating services are offered to observe water birds and crocodiles.
Dundhwa Seha is an enormous gorge with a viewing point and a watchtower that is ideal for observing nesting vultures. Other watchtowers include Kamani, Titli, and MahuaPani, which offer sweeping views of the river valley, grasslands, and forest canopy.
The tiger sightings are frequent, but not guaranteed. To better your chances of sighting the big cat and other animals, experiencing at least 3-4 safaris is recommended, with a mix of morning and evening outings. Apart from tiger, the park supports a sizable population of sloth bear, leopard, and striped hyena. Other prominent carnivores are jackal, wolf, wild got, jungle cat. The major ungulates that form prey for these carnivores are sambar, chital, nilgai, four horned antelope, wild boar, chinkara etc. India’s ‘Big Four’ snakes, the spectacled Cobra, Saw Scaled Viper, Common Krait and Russel’s Viper are also found here.
Panna is a magnificent birding destination, with more than 200 species, including winter migrants from the Himalayas and Central Asia. From the majestic peacock to a wide varieties of eagles, hawks, buzzards and vultures, as well as a multitude of smaller species, from woodpeckers to rollers, bee eaters, kingfishers and starlings, the variety of birds is staggering. Plenty of Asian paradise flycatchers – the state bird of Madhya Pradesh – can be seen too.