From Hunters to Guardians: How the Pardhi Tribe Helped Restore Wildlife in Panna

Jun 23, 2026, 11:00 AM

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The animal whisperers

Deep inside Panna’s forests lives a community with an extraordinary skill. Using hand-whistles carved from wood and generations of knowledge, the Pardhis can mimic animal calls with stunning accuracy.

Photo Credit : The last wilderness

Calling the wild

Their whistles can attract a surprising range of wildlife, including tigers, leopards, wolves, hyenas, sloth bears, sambar deer, chital, chousingha, blue bull, chinkara, white-necked storks and paradise flycatchers.

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Skills once misused

For generations, these forest skills were used for hunting. Animals responding to familiar calls would unknowingly walk into traps, making hunting a way of life for many Pardhi families.

Photo Credit : 30 Years Tiger News Show

Panna’s tiger crisis

In 2009, Panna National Park admitted it had no tigers left. Just three years earlier, the reserve had recorded 24 tigers. The disappearance shocked conservationists across India.

Photo Credit : Pugdundee safaris

A forest in trouble

The tiger extinction in Panna followed years of warnings. Reports suggested that despite repeated alarm bells, the crisis had not been addressed in time.

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Under suspicion

Following the tigers’ disappearance, investigations were launched by a Special Investigating Team involving multiple wildlife agencies. The Pardhi community soon found itself under intense scrutiny.

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A forgotten history

The Pardhis were once respected forest trackers and protectors. But in 1871, British authorities labelled them a ‘criminal tribe’, pushing the community to society’s margins for generations.

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Forced to survive

Even after the law was repealed in 1952, Pardhis were cut off from opportunities and dignity, and many families relied on hunting and forest resources to earn a livelihood.

Photo Credit : The last wilderness

A new beginning

After 2009, efforts were made to reduce dependence on hunting. Families were relocated to nearby villages, while young people were encouraged to pursue new livelihoods.

Photo Credit : Roundglass Sustain

Guardians of the forest

The Last Wilderness Foundation worked with the community to turn their knowledge into a strength. Many Pardhi youth began training as forest guides, helping visitors understand wildlife.

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Tigers return

Alongside community efforts, the Panna Tiger Reintroduction Programme brought tigers from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench. By the end of 2010, eight tiger cubs had been born in the reserve.

Photo Credit : Pugdundee safaris

Kindness in the wild

Today, the same whistles and tracking skills once used to capture wildlife are now helping people appreciate and protect Panna’s wild heritage.

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