- Concise Student-Focused News Summary:
- ‘Vatsala’, Asia’s oldest elephant, passed away recently at the age of over 100 years at Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
About Panna Tiger Reserve:
- Location: Vindhyan mountain range, northern Madhya Pradesh; only tiger reserve in the Bundelkhand region.
- Declared as a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994; spreads over 542 sq.km.
- Topography: Known for its unique 'table-top' landscape with plateaus, gorges, and Ken River flowing south to north.
- Cultural Significance: Area is home to indigenous Baiga and Gond tribes and 2,000-year-old rock paintings.
- Flora: Dominated by dry deciduous forests and teak (northernmost teak boundary), Teak-Kardhai mixed forests, and Acacia catachu on steep slopes.
- Fauna: Home to Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Wild Dog, Jackal, Wolf, Jungle Cat, and Rusty Spotted Cat.
- Panna remains a critical conservation hotspot within the Central Highlands' Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zone.