About Panna Tiger Reserve:
- Location: It is located in the Vindhyan mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
- Standing over an area of 542 sq.km., it is the only tiger reserve in the entire Bundelkhand region.
- It falls in biogeographic zones of the Deccan Peninsula and the Biotic Province of the Central highlands.
- It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve by the Government of India in 1994.
- Landscape:
- It is characterized by a ‘Table Top’ topography.
- It consists of extensive plateaus and gorges.
- Two plateaus run parallel to each other from southwest to northeasterly direction.
- River: The Ken River flows from south to north through the reserve.
- The reserve is also dotted with two-thousand-year-old rock paintings.
- The region surrounding the reserve is home to various indigenous tribes, each with its distinct culture and traditions. The Baiga and Gond tribes are among the prominent ones.
- Flora:
- The dominant vegetation type is dry deciduous forest interspersed with grassland areas.
- In the north, it is surrounded by teak forest, and in the east, it is surrounded by Teak-Kardhai mixed forest. It is the northernmost boundary of the natural distribution of teak (Tectona grandis).
- The tree species Acacia catachu dominates the dry, steep slopes of the plateaus
- Fauna:
- It supports a sizable population of Tiger, Sloth Bear, Leopard, and Striped Hyena.
- Other prominent carnivores are Jackal, Wolf, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, and Rusty Spotted Cat.
