Success Story Panna National Park

Panna National Park 

Panna – Turnaround Story

Panna Tiger Reserve is spread over an area of 576 sq km in the civil districts of Panna and Chattarpur of Mahaya Pradesh. Panna National Park Area 542 sq km was created in 1981 and subsequently declared a tiger reserve in 1994. Panna is just 25km from Khajuraho… a mere half an hour drive. This is rare combination of cultural tourist place of prominence along with wilderness area being almost together.  Panna was declared devoid all reintroduction program of Panna, Panna Tiger count stands at 31 within the tiger reserve and 5 more roaming in the rest of the landscape by mid 2015.

Panna Turnaround Story

Panna Tiger Reserve reintroduction started in March 2009 when one female each from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve T1 and Kanha Tiger Reserve T2 were Trans located to Panna reserve. The original plan was to offset the skewed sex ratio at Panna Reserve. But by the time females were brought the last male of Panna reserve also disappeared a comprehensive Tiger reintroduction project was drawn up by September 2009 with the scientific inputs from WII, Dehradoon. As per this project four females { Including the earlier two} and two male adults Tigers are proposed to be introduced at Panna Reserve which will serve as founder population to re-establish the tigers in the reserve. A male was brought in from Pench National Park T3 on 6^th November 2009. This male Tiger was released open in the Panna reserve 14^th November 2009. After staying for about ten 10 days this male tiger fitted with GPS, satellite and VHF collar went out of the park in southern direction. Thus the entire tiger reintroduction program hit a major road block. Without a male tiger there was no way that the tiger reintroduction program could have moved ahead.

He was moving outside of the park in hostile and inhospitable terrains of Chattrpur, Sagar and Damoh districts for 30 days. The park management decided to follow the tiger even though the VHF signals were not being received. The determination of the park management not to lose this tiger { which otherwise may have put full stop for the tiger conservation movements reintroduction} in general and tiger re-establishment project at Panna to be specific} paid rich dividends in the end. A team of 70 park staff and four elephants lead by field Director followed him. Secured him from gun shots, poisoning and electrocution, and finally tranquilized him for the third time on 25^th December 2009 in a matter of 50 days and released him for the second time at Panna reserve 26^th December 2009, and thus for the first time that the world had witnessed the homing instinct in  a wild Tiger. All the time the male tiger was moving in the southern direction from the place of release where Pench was located. After accomplishing this arduous and next to impossible task the park management improved on its monitoring skills. Put a full proof mechanism of 24/7 basis monitoring based security in place. Panna Tiger Reserve management tried every other scientific and managerial trick to move towards success. This resulted in first ever breeding success of reintroduced tigers of this century. T1 delivered four cubs on 16/04/2010 of which two survived. T2 is a different story her radio collar malfunctioned from 16^th July 2009 she was monitored by the field staff almost on regular basis and ensured her security. She delivered a little of four cubs in the month of October 2010 and of which three survived.

From March 2011 a new chapter started in Panna tiger reserve with an orphaned cub that has grown to over five and half years was reintroduced as T4 to be re – wilded. Her mother again a radio collared, one was originally killed in fight with another tiger at KanhaTiger Reserve way back in 2005. Three cubs – one male and two females were picked up by the park management and hand reared for a period of one and half years then released in a bigger enclosure at Ghorella in Kanha. This re wilding experiment again tested the skills of the Panna to its limit. Once again Panna team met with success of first ever re-wildling of a Tiger by June 2011 this Tigress learnt the hunting skills with the help of the male and is fully re-wilded. She become proud mother of two cubs in mid November 2011 which is a rare feat for any orphaned cub. She successfully reared them to adult hood. T4 died in September 2014. Her sister T5 was released at Panaa TR on 13/11/2011 that is also fully settled and re wilded T5 littered for the first time in April 2014. T6 was reintroduced in January 2014 to take care of the sex ratio of Panna progeny who got settled and delivered first litter in August 2014. As on date all the reintroduced Tigers T1 to T6 are perfectly settled / re wilded in the Panna. Thus all the re-introduced Tigresses met with breeding success which is rare in conservation arena of the world. P-213 and P-222 Panna progeny Tigresses also littered stepping into F2 generation chapter of Panna success saga.

Thus Panna is rated as the most successful and Tiger-full tiger conservation project after a debacle. Of the envisaged six tigers that were to be reintroduced five tigers were reintroduced successfully which includes re wilding of two Tigresses. Reintroduction of second male tiger was post pond for technical reasons.  All the new progeny of reintroduction tigers are named after panna. As on date Panna reintroduced tigers gave birth to T41 cubs in 18 litters in less than five years of which 7 cubs / sub adults met with mortality. Thus as on today Panna is filled with five founder and 27 Panna progeny Tigers, total 31 tigers. The Panna tiger reintroduction project is financially supported by NTCA – WII are research partners. WWF – India supports the project technically as and when required.

Pic - R. P Omre