History of Panna National Park is scattered all over the national park, in the form of hunting hide-outs. It is clear indication towards the fact that this forest was private hunting preserve of erstwhile Bundela rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur & Bijawar states. This forest is part of Bundelkhand region, which is a rocky plateau system in which life is full of struggle from human beings to wild animals. The Madla zone of Panna national park will reveal many such historical structures, indicating towards the hunting past of this emerald forest, by royal family members. Here wildlife conservation efforts initiated in 1975 with the creation of Gangau wildlife sanctuary, by comprising North & South Panna forest division. This step by step journey continued till 1994 when Panna tiger reserve was introduced to the world.
First of all Gangau wildlife sanctuary was created in 1975. In year 1978, Gangau sanctuary was extended by inclusion of Chhatarpur forest division. Later in year 1981 Panna National Park was declared with inclusion of Gangau sanctuary with areas of Chhatarpur division. Panna national park is a 22nd tiger reserve in India. In central India, it was the 5th tiger reserve. Just like many other forests, Panna forest was also private hunting reserve of the rulers of Panna. It was private property till India’s independence, and then the park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1981. 0n 1994 this national park was upgraded into a Tiger Reserve with inclusion of some other wildlife sanctuary like Gangau WLS, Panna National Park & Ken Gharial wildlife sanctuary. Pandav caves in Panna is mentioned in the great epic of Hindus ‘Mahabharata’ that Pandavas spent a long time of their exile in this forest of Panna.
Horrible result came out when in June 2009 it was officially announced that the Panna tiger reserve, where had over 40 tigers six years ago, has no tiger left. In an instant being worried about of this debacle, Ministry of Environment and Forest taken a decision in June 2009, to relocate two tigers and two tigresses from near by tiger reserves to Panna forest. A young tiger male was moved from Pench tiger reserve. But very soon he strayed out of the park and moved towards Sagar district forest. Thereafter; in November 2009 It was brought back to the park about a month later. Reason for straying out was found as lack of female partner in the park. Soon a tigress, shifted from Bandhavgarh National Park, gave birth to three cubs in April 2010. The second tigress, shifted from Kanha National Park gave birth to two cubs several months later. A third tigress was shifted to Panna from Kanha in March 2011. This re-introduction of tigers in Panna forest gave surprising result. It was noticed that here tiger population was increasing on consistent basis. It is the result of these translocations that today Panna national park have healthy tiger population and thus tiger sighting index of Panna national park has increased. Almost daily tiger sighting information comes from safari guides which resulted into increase in tourism at this national park. Time has proved that it was successful relocation project which bring back Panna national park in to tiger safari destinations of Madhya Pradesh.
Panna region was deeply connected with Bundela dynasty who ruled over Bundelkhand region from 16th century till independence of India. This region get its place in map of India when Maharaja Chhatrasal decided to make his capital at Panna region. With the introduction of power center at this location, Panna gained its place in map of central India and thus get its place.
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