Panna district, famous for diamond, has made a global identity in tiger conservation by completing 10 years of successful tiger reintroduction. Panna Tiger Reserve, had lost tigers few years ago, is today home for some 55 tigers, small and big. Due to the tendency of tigers to stay solitary, this area is also becoming smaller for tigers.

Impressed by success story of reintroduction, many countries are now making efforts for tiger restoration in their countries by studying Panna model.

Panna jungle was once home for tigers due to which it was granted the status of Tiger Reserve in the year 1994. Then came a time when in the year 2009, there was not a single tiger left in this tiger reserve. Wildlife experts and Panna citizens were surprised to see the situation. Two tigers were brought to Panna from Bandhavgarh and Kanha Tiger Reserve in March-2009. They were named T-1 and T-2. After this, a tiger was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve on December 6, which was named T-3.

Tiger T-3 left Panna Tiger Reserve and went back towards the south direction. The vigilant park management chased it continuously for 19 days with great difficulty and finally managed to bring it back on December 25 after rendering it unconscious.

Constant brainstorming and research to bring the tiger back to the tiger reserve continued. For this, the Forest Department contacted the Lost Wilderness Foundation. The Foundation first encouraged the depressed park management and then prepared them through training for the difficult and long journey ahead.

One of the main reasons why tigers vanished from the Panna Tiger Reserve was the local Pardhi community who considered hunting as their traditional occupation.

The Pardhis considered hunting as the yardstick of their valour. To convince them to leave their ancestral business was a big challenge. These people were poor as well as illiterate. Therefore, along with changing the mentality of the Pardhi community, ways were explored to provide them with new employment opportunities.

After taking them into confidence, they were trained to support forest guides and tourists on natural excursions, so that they could earn sufficient income. Their tour “Walk with the Pardhis” became quite popular with the tourists. The park management also utilised the indepth knowledge of the Pardhis about forest to increase tourism.

They charm the tourists with various sounds of birds and the seed carvings. To connect this community with the mainstream of development, their children were admitted to boarding schools.

Lost Wilderness Foundation is currently working in 15 tribal habitats in Panna Tiger Reserve. The Foundation teaches the tribals how to avoid encounters with tigers and stop the wildlife-human conflict.

Park management has increased vigilance against hunting. Earlier, the tribals hunted animals and sold their organs illegally. Many times when tigers entered the village in search of food and killed the cattle, the villagers also killed the tiger with trap or poisoned them.

Also, the biggest reason for the extinction of tigers was the illegal hunting of tigers by outsiders. The hunters would kill tigers by dodging the forest guards in the dark of night.

Return of Tiger T-3 to the tiger reserve changed history. In 2010, tigress T-1 gave birth to cubs in April and T-2 gave birth to cubs in October.