India's first national park was established in 1936, now known as jim corbett national park in Uttarakhand. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act 35 (4) and Project Tiger in 1973 to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species.
Today there are 106 national parks in India. In Madhya Pradesh only, there are 9 national parks and 6 tiger reserves. It is considered as a wildlife hotspot because of it's large tiger population.
Two national parks that are major tourist attractions are kanha national park and bandhavgarh national park. But apart from those there are a few other parks which are unique in their own ways, maybe not for its tiger population but for other amazing wildlife.
1) PANNA TIGER RESERVE
WHERE- panna and chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
HOW TO REACH-
BY AIR- khajuraho airport is the nearest airport which is only 26 km from the national park.
BY TRAIN- khajuraho railway station which is 36 km from there and takes about 1 hour to reach.
BOOKING- You can books the tickets from MP forest department website - https://forest.mponline.gov.in/
Or you can book the safari directly from your hotel.
GATES- Madla and hinauta
UNIQUENESS-
1) Ken ghariyal sanctuary have the largest ghariyal population in the country. You can watch them in their natural habitat.
2) Seven out of nine vulture species in india reside in this tiger reserve.
2) SATPURA NATIONAL PARK
WHERE- Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh.
HOW TO REACH-
BY AIR- Raja bhoj international airport, bhopal is the nearest airport which is 137 km from the nearest madhai gate.
BY TRAIN- Hoshangabad railway station is the nearest which is 53 km from madhai gate.
BOOKING- https://forest.mponline.gov.in/
MP forest department website
Also your plan is last minute you can contact your hotel to book you the safari.
GATE- Madhai, churna and pachmari
UNIQUENESS-
1) You can witness a big crocodile population in every water body within the national park.
2) It provides home to Indian giant squirrel.
3) You get to experience a ferry ride upto the entry gate as the this national park is surrounded by tawa river.
3) PENCH NATIONAL PARK
WHERE- Seoni and chindwara district, on the border between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
HOW TO REACH-
BY AIR- Nearest airport is in Nagpur. Which is around 84 km from pench.
BY TRAIN- nearest railway station is in seoni. Around 82 km from pench.
BOOKING- MP forest department website
https://forest.mponline.gov.in/ or book it through your hotel.
GATE- Turia, karmajhiri and jamtara
UNIQUENESS-
1) It has large bison population. And many migratory birds. Also the area is small so that chances of tiger sighting is comparatively higher.
2) It consists of a wolf sanctuary where night safaris are allowed.
4) KUNO-PALPUR NATIONAL PARK -
WHERE- Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh
HOW TO REACH-
BY AIR- Gwalior airport is the nearest which is 165 km.
BY TRAIN- Shivpuri and sawai madhopur have the nearest railway station.
BOOKING- MP FOREST DEPARTMENT WEBSITE
https://forest.mponline.gov.in/
GATE- Tiktoli, Ahera, Peepal Bawadi
UNIQUENESS-
1) It's now home to newly shifted cheetahs from Nigeria. As the project is still in their experimental phase so tourists are not allowed to see them yet but soon enough they can see the cheetahs.
2) It's constitutes the underrated ghariyal sanctuary.