Land of Mowgli beckons
Pench National Park
Pench-Map.webp
Pench National Park is a wild playground harboring the country's maximum density of prey animals. In 1983, it was declared a National Park and in 1992, a tiger reserve.
Pench Tiger Reserve is spread across 1,180sq km, including a buffer zone of 768 sq km. It is situated under the Seoni and Chhindwara administrative districts of Madhya Pradesh and shares the southern boundary with Maharashtra. Pench Tiger Reserve comprises Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, Pench Mowgli Sanctuary, and the buffer forest. Part of Pench is also in the state of Maharashtra.
There are three gates for the core to access Pench National Park from Madhya Pradesh - Turia Gate, Karmajhiri Gate, and Jamatra Gate. Pench Tree Lodge is located close to Karamjhiri gate (25 minutes) which besides the jeep safari also provides access to a unique walking trail - Runi Jhooni walking trail.
Pench National Park also offers safari in buffer zones including Teliya Buffer, Khawasa, Buffer, Kumbhpani - Tekadi Buffer, and Rukad Buffer. Buffer safaris are open throughout the year and core zone from October to June.
Rukad buffer can be easily accessed from Pench Tree Lodge and has been having consistent Tiger sightings. Kumbhpani - Tekadi buffer is close to Karmajhiri gate and has easy access from Pench Tree Lodge. This buffer also allows night safaris.
Pench is indeed a land of delightful splendour. Myriad flora and fauna inhabit these stunning jungles including Tigers, Indian leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, nilgais, sambhar, chinkara, wild dogs, gaurs and wolves. Pench is an idyllic land for bird watching, boasting of over 250 species of birds. In recent years Pench has also been in news due to regular sightings and records of black leopards.
SAFARI ESSENTIALS
When on Safari, besides wearing appropriate clothing there are a few essentials that can make the overall experience remarkable. Here is a list of items that can be carried along;
- Sun Screen & Sunglasses
- Insect Repellent
- Neutral (Khaki, Green, Brown) colored clothing
- Preferably very light cotton in summer
- For winters, windbreaker, warm jacket, sweater, fleece, gloves, warm cap
- Safari hat or cap
- Stole, buff, or scarf for protection from heat and dust
- Boots or closed shoes
- Binoculars and camera with zoom.
FAQs
Pench National was declared a National Park in 1983 and in 1992, it got the recognition of a tiger reserve. Pench National Park is indeed a land of delightful splendour. Myriad flora and fauna inhabit these stunning jungles includes, Tigers, Indian leopards, sloth bears, several varieties of deer, antelopes, wild dogs, gaurs and wolves. Pench is an idyllic land for bird watching, boasting over 210 species of birds.
October to March offers the best weather with sunny days, cold nights, and very few days of rain to visit Pench National Park. April to June gets hot but is excellent for sightings in the park. The core zone is closed from July to Sept but the buffer zone is open all year round at Pench National Park.
Besides the very popular tiger safari expedition in Pench National Park, one can explore Rukhad Buffer by cycle and also opt for camping out in the buffer zones. Pench Tree Lodge also offers a green non-vehicular experience at its Kipling Hide, India's first luxury wildlife photography hide.
Nagpur, which is approximately at a distance of 130kms, is the closest airport. Jabalpur airport, approximately 210kms from Pench is another option to reach Pench National Park. However, Nagpur is an international airport and has more flight connectivity than Jabalpur.
Pench Tiger Reserve is spread across 1,180sq km, including a buffer zone of 768sq km with three popular core gates- Turia Gate, Karmajhiri Gate, and Jamatra Gate which offers access to the same part of the park. Buffer zones include Teliya Buffer, Khawasa, Buffer, Kumbhpani - Tekadi Buffer, and Rukad Buffer.