Panna: The Panna Nature Camp, launched in Madhya Pradesh's Panna National Park with the public support to give shape to innovative tiger conservation, completed its 15 glorious years on November 1.
Launched in 2010, on the occasion of Madhya Pradesh's Foundation Day, the "Panna Nature Camp" has completed 15 years.
The then Field Director of Panna Tiger Reserve, R. Srinivas Murthy, expressed his delight at the fact that the Nature Camp continues uninterrupted. This achievement is unique and unparalleled in the history of any tiger reserve in India. This is a moment of immense pride for the Panna Tiger Reserve management and the people of Panna.
A total of 365 Panna Nature Camps have been organized so far, with over 11,000 participants taking part to witness the unique world of the forest up close and truly admire its beauty.
Panna Tiger Reserve was devoid of tigers in 2009
It is well known that in 2009, the Panna Tiger Reserve was devoid of tigers. At that time, the people of Panna were extremely disappointed and angry. They began to question the importance of having a tiger reserve when there were no tigers left. This sentiment arose because the locals never had the opportunity to see and understand the park closely. Locals began to view the Panna Tiger Reserve as the biggest obstacle to local development.
Amid these circumstances, the then Field Director, R. Srinivas Murthy, formulated a project with the help of Sanjay Thakur of Pune. He obtained approval from Bhopal and engaged WWF-India for the program.
The first inaugural camp was held on November 1, 2010, on the occasion of Madhya Pradesh's Foundation Day, and WWF India Secretary General Ravi Singh graced the occasion.
People contributed to the success of the camps
Participants were transported in a Tata 407 vehicle with comfortable seating arrangements. NMDC Majhgawan later provided a 34-seater bus for the operation of these camps. The late Ambika Khare and Devdutt Chaturvedi, both retired teachers, made significant contributions to the success of the camps.
According to official data, more than 2.75 lakh tourists visited the Panna Tiger Reserve in 2024-25, including 2.6 lakh Indian tourists and 15,300 foreign tourists. This generated revenue of Rs 7.42 crore for the Panna Tiger Reserve. This unique campaign, which began a decade and a half ago, has reached a milestone today, which is certainly a significant milestone.