Panna National Reserve was created in 1981.
It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994, the 22nd in the country and
5th in the State.
The National Reserve consists of areas form the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary
created in 1975.
This sanctuary comprised of territorial forests of the present North Panna Forest
Division to which a portion of the adjoining Chhatarpur Forest Division was
added later.
The reserved forests of the Reserve in Panna district and some protected forests
on Chhatarpur district were the hunting preserves of the erstwhile rulers of
Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states.