Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR)

About Panna Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is a critical tiger habitat located in the Vindhyan mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve by the Government of India in 1994. 
• Landscape:
  • It is characterized with a 'Table Top' topography.
  • It consists of extensive plateaus and gorges.
• River: Ken River flows from south to north through the reserve.
• 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.
  • The tree species Acacia catachu dominates the dry, steep slopes of the plateaus here.
• Fauna:
  • It supports a sizable population of Sloth Bear, Leopard, and Striped Hyena.
  • Other prominent carnivores are Jackal, Wolf, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, and Rusty Spotted Cat.

Key Facts about Ken River

• It is one of the major rivers of the Bundelkhand region of central India, and it flows through two states, namely Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. 
• It is a tributary of the Yamuna River.
• Origin: It originates near the village of Ahirgawan on the north-west slopes of Kaimur Range in the district of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
• It travels a distance of 427 km and then merges with the Yamuna at Chilla village, near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.
• Out of its total length of 427 km, it flows for 292 km in Madhya Pradesh, 84 km in Uttar Pradesh, and 51 km forms the boundary between the two states.
• Crossing the Bijawar-Panna hills, the river cuts a 60 km long, and 150- 180 m deep gorge.
• Tributaries: The major tributaries of Ken River are Bawas, Dewar, Kaith, Baink, Kopra, and Bearma.

Q1) What is Project Tiger?

Project Tiger in India was launched on 1st April 1973 as a major wildlife conservation project in India. It was launched from the Jim Corbett National Park of Uttarakhand. The initiative is funded by the Union Govt. of India and administered under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the immediate supervising agency.

Source: How Panna Tiger Reserve Is helping Cambodia In Its Tiger Reintroduction Programme