Pench
The Pench Tiger Reserve is named after the Pench river, which flows from north to south through the Reserve. The Reserve is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hill ranges in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. The terrain is undulating, with most of the area covered by small hill ranges, steeply sloping on the sides.
The Reserve is situated in an area that holds a significant place in the natural history of Central India. The description of its natural beauty, richness in flora and fauna has appeared in numerous wildlife books dating back to 17th century. Books written in the 19th and early 20th century by famous naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth and Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book explicitly present the detailed panorama of nature's abundance in this tract.
An extensive forest belt extends in three directions, north, east and south, covering forest tracts of Seoni, Balaghat and Nagpur districts. The contiguous forest on the southern side in the Maharashtra state of India, initially notified as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park has been recently included in the Project Tiger network by the same name as this Reserve. A dam was constructed on the Pench river on south-eastern boundary of the Reserve.
The area is criss-crossed by numerous seasonal streams and nalas. The Pench river flowing through the central line of the Reserve is dry by the April-end but a number of water pools locally known as dohs are found, which serve as waterholes for wild animals. A few perennial springs also exist in this area. However, the water sources are not suitably distributed, hence large area remains unutilized by the wild animals. The Pench reservoir at the center of the Reserve is the only major water source during pinch period.
Attraction
Wildlife at Pench includes tigers, leopard, fox, gaur, jungle cat and many other types of animals. Different species of local as well as migratory birds visit Pench every year. Some of the birds found in the area are peafowl, crimson-breasted barbet, magpie robin, pintail, shoveler and many more.
Jungle Safari
The major attraction of the Park is the jungle safari. In a Jeep drive round the park one can see a variety of animals and birds, especially large herds of chital numbering over a thousand. The varied topography and ever-changing vegetation provides an unforgettable experience for the visitor.
Elephant Rides
The Park has elephants that are used to track and show tigers to the tourists. An elephant ride into the forests is an enchanting experience.
Boating
The large Pench reservoir within the Park with its numerous islands provides a magical setting for boating. Motorboats, paddleboats and rowboats are available for the tourists.
River Rafting
Rafting can be done in the Pench river outside the Park between 1st September and 15th October. The forested banks of the river along with rocky stretches of the river locally called kassa make for an adventurous, memorable experience.
How to Reach
By Air:- Airport - Sonegaon Airport, Nagpur (92 kms. from the Park)
Nagpur is the nearest airport connected to Delhi & Mumbai and other places by regular flights. Jabalpur (192 kms.) also serves as a convenient airhead with regular flights from Delhi.
By Train:- Jabalpur (195 km); 165km along National Highway 7 to Sukhtara village via Seoni and then 30 km to Karmajhiri.
By Road:- A National Highway connects the Pench National Park to Nagpur (92 kms.) and Jabalpur (192 kms). The drive time from Nagpur is 2 hrs and from Jabalpur, is 4 hrs.
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