Panna National Park, From Zero To Twenty Two

The Golden Camouflage - The Chital (Chitrala in Sanskrit meaning Variegated) or Spotted Deer. These are native to the Indian subcontinent only. They are widely seen in most forest reserves in India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Bhutan and Nepal

And then the sun lit the world

We started for Panna National Park at 4ish in the morning in a Safari jeep shared with another couple, booked by the hotel we were staying at in Khajuraho. It was late November and pretty foggy. I wasn't carrying a jacket and the chill had almost gotten under my skin; almost to my bones ( idiom aside I meant it literally) but the anticipation of getting lucky this time to sight a tiger after several failed attempts before, kept the cold at bay.

We arrived at the park within an hour.  It was still dark when we passed through a dense deciduous stretch of Sal, tendu, acacia, bamboo, arjuna, and other trees I don't know the names of. The only wild creature I noticed was big yellow Nephila, the Golden silk orb weaver spiders (I think that's the species), resting in the center of their giant intricate arty webs. For once I felt even creepy arachnoids can be beautiful. My antique camera couldn't capture a very clear photograph in the bad light from a moving jeep. That's the umpteenth time I reminded myself, that it's time to replace my good old buddy of 10 years (I seem to hold on to the silly misconception that even inanimate objects have feelings).

As the jeep drove deeper into the forest, we could hear the rustle of trees suggesting animal presence but none came close enough to be sighted. Am sure the animals are well aware of the safari trails now and keep a safe distance. Sigh :(

As if to complement the vermilion of the rising sun, the vegetation changed to a stretch of open dry grassland, a beautiful golden hue blanketing the earth. Impeccably camouflaged in that yellow lea were the first animals we saw, the golden spotted deer or chital as they are called in Hindi. Honestly, having seen deer so many times; even once, almost accidentally driven over one in Sioux Falls on my way to the badlands, I should have been more nonchalant but excitement surged in at the very sight of those elegant bucks, at least some animal on a tiger safari if not a tiger itself.

Moving on, the jeep re-entered a stretch of denser forest where we met some langurs and sambars but a tiger !!! nopes!! the guide said a tiger was sighted just the day before. Yes, that's what happens always, tigers are sighted the day before or the day after but not on the day. Someday perhaps!

On the safari trail

From Zero to Twenty-Two:

Parts of the Panna National Park originally belonged to the royal family of Panna. In 1981 it was taken over by the government for the conservation of the big striped cats. When counted in the early 2000s, the park had some 30-40 tigers but by 2009 the number shockingly dropped to zero. It was a huge blow for the Tiger conservationists and the park authorities. What caused such a catastrophe for the cats!? A report was published soon after thorough investigations of the shocking revelations, which suggested that some cats died a natural death after a 15-year life span, some were killed by the local villagers while protecting their livestock, some were poached by tiger smugglers, and some fell prey to revenge machinations of dacoits against local authorities. Additionally, the environmentalists blamed the diamond mines in operation in the region for endangering the tiger habitat. Ironically, most of the mines were shut down by 2009. The mining companies retaliated claiming the tigers died after the mines were shut down proving mines were not damaging the animal's habitat. The battle continued and all mines were ordered to shut down by 2016. 

Meanwhile, the park authorities decided to bring tigers from Pench to help breed them again at Panna. It was a risky proposition since relocation often causes emotional damage to the relocated animal. There was the danger of losing the relocated animal as well. The risk however was taken and it successfully paid off amidst many challenges. There is a heart-wrenching story about a relocated male tiger, who was so homesick that he walked almost 200 miles, halfway back to Pench before getting tracked by the Park authorities.  I wonder how helpless he must have felt on being brought back to a place he didn't belong to. Who knows what he was missing, who had he left behind in Pench, and why he wanted to go back. As animals, they cannot express their feelings and we take them for granted :( Well! eventually, the project of relocating the tigers worked for Panna, and currently, there are about 22 tigers in the park. A feat the park is mighty proud of :)

Back on the tiger trail

The effort is still on and Panna is doing a great job with better resources and hi-tech equipment that they didn't have years back. The major threat is the poachers and the local villagers and the park authorities have become extra vigilant to keep an eye on their 22 cats. Today, all the cats have radio collars, through which the forest guards and patrolling officers receive transmissions. A normal transmitter reading is 60 beats but if this reading drastically increases or decreases the tiger trackers get alert. They track the tiger through GPS and provide the required assistance. The trackers work 12-hour shifts. A couple years back two unmanned flying drones were also installed for tracking them.

Tiger conservation in India has definitely come a long way and successfully strode forward. Tigers habited 23 countries in the past but now they can be found in 11 countries only. Cambodia and Vietnam are the recent two countries to announce the extinction of this species from their forests. Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Russia, China, Nepal Bhutan, and Indonesia are the only remaining countries where tigers can still be found other than India which is the home of 70% of the world's wild tigers. These big cats need enough space food and protection from poachers to survive and multiply and this could be achieved in India because of extensive tiger conservation awareness projects, community participation, passionate conservationists, and forest officers and guards.

A well-spent afternoon by the Ken

As for us, we didn't see the striped cat eventually. Toward the end of the safari, we had a lovely time basking in the winter sun by the Ken River. There are options for boat rides also but we decided to head back instead; we were completely famished. On the way, we stopped at Ken Forest Lodge, very close to the national park for breakfast. The food was good and we even had an interesting chat with a young forest guide. A science graduate and an ardent animal conservationist who had come to Panna for a vacation from Bangalore fell in love with the place and decided to stay back at the lodge, as a forest guide. It's interesting to meet such passionate people for whom work and passion do not conflict. Who chooses to do what their heart chooses to do. Was truly inspired. From there we headed back on towards Khajuraho but took a little diversion to the enchanting Pandava Falls. A decision we didn't regret. I had plans to check out the Jhardova rock paintings as well but the driver couldn't locate them. Perhaps, giving us a reason to come back.

Long-tailed Hanuman Langur are Old world monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent

LOCATION:

State: Madhya Pradesh

Country: India

HOW TO REACH:

Panna National Park can be best reached from Khajuraho which has an airport and a railway station. The park is about an hour away from Khajuraho by car. One can hire a safari jeep from Khajuraho.

WHAT TO WEAR:

Light cotton is good since the weather is mostly warm. For winters a jacket is a must, especially if taking the early morning safari. 

WHERE TO STAY:

The park has its own resort. Plus there are other resorts close by. Many stay in Khajuraho.

Sambar is a large deer native to South and South-East Asia. Currently, it is on the endangered list due to hunting and habitat loss.

A Stop-Over At Pandav Falls

Pandav Fall

Pandav Falls is located 35 km from Khajuraho, in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Its serenity holds an allure that I think should not be missed if visiting Khajuraho or Panna. I noticed some reviews that go against this statement but again beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. We went there in late November on our way back to Khajuraho from Panna National Forest.  There were very few people. A quiet hidden desolate place. The fall is not particularly grand but the green-ness of the lake gives it a peaceful ambiance and an ethereal feel. We went there without expecting much but were pleasantly surprised that even a small unassuming place could hold so much beauty. 

There is a parking fee of some 200 bucks for Indian citizens, 1000+ bucks for foreign nationals, and a guide fee of 60 bucks. You can avoid the parking fee by keeping the cars outside the fall premises. It's a short walk to a stream and then some 160 steps down to the lake and caves. Those with weak knees may find the climb pretty tedious since the steps are very steep. 

A stream (distributary of Ken River I assume)

The legend goes, that the Pandavas (from the epic Mahabharata) camped here during their exile. There are five temples built by the five Pandavas. Interestingly, I saw small Shiv temples (5 in number built by the Pandavas in Diu). There is a thin stream of the waterfall called the Draupadi fall which is believed to have magical powers :). Locals believe if a couple drinks the water from this fall, their relationship is sealed for 7 lives :) Is that good or bad is the question :P? In later years, this place was used as a rest house for Kings who came to Panna to hunt tigers.

Shiva linga at Gangeshwar temple built by the Pandavas in Diu near Fudam Village

Shiva temples built by the Pandavas

Draupadi Falls

The place is clean but the caves are dilapidated and visitors are prohibited from entering them. The natural caves from the supposed Mahabharata era are hidden behind the hunting rest areas built by the kings in later times. Other local legends say, that during the Indian independence struggle, freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad and his friends used this place as their secret hideout.

Hunting rest houses for Kings

Crimson Marsh Glider

Since the fall is surrounded by dense forests, the area is frequented by leopards, tigers, and bears, usually at night unless someone is very lucky/unlucky to meet one face to face.  One may meet groups of langurs but they usually shy away from people and do no harm. These forests are one of the oldest in India and have trees almost 100 years old. Nature enthusiasts would definitely find interest in the flora and fauna here. I saw many golden silk orb weaver spiders here, beautiful yet intimidating.

Large black and yellow Nephila spiders are supposed to be the largest orb weavers almost up to 3 ft in diameter

Nephila, Golden Orb Weaver 

From a particular viewpoint, the lake/ pond/ kund looks like a heart. I heard a guide point it out to a newlywed honeymoon couple adding a touch of romantic air to the place. Well, I say stop over for a couple of hours and you won't be disappointed (at least most of you).

Heart-shaped Draupadi Kund