Pench National Park
The park covers an area of 292.85 sq km but if combined with the neighbouring
forest area of the Mowgli Pench wildlife Sanctuary (118.31 sq km) and the buffer
zone (346.73 sq km), they total up to an area of 757.89 sq km to form what is
known as the Pench Tiger Reserve. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1977
and it got its status of a National Park in 1983.
Climatic Conditions - Due to the wonderful tree cover across most of
the park and the abundant bird and animal life, the climate is mostly far from
the mind while driving around there. However, the park does experience drastic
variations in climatic conditions. The temperature range is extreme with the
mercury dipping to around 4 degrees centigrade in the winters (December) and
rising all the way up to 47 degrees in the summers(May). The wind-chill factor
while driving around early morning in the open 4-wheel drive vehicles does nothing
to improve the freezing wintry conditions.
Historical Snippets - The Pench National park owes its name to the river
that splits it into two sections. To the south of the river Pench, the park
comes under the jurisdiction of the state of Maharashtra, but is still known
by the same name. A hydro electric dam was built on the river between 1973 and
1988. This created a reservoir that submerged 74 sq km of the park, out of which
54 sq km fall under the state of Madhya Pradesh. A positive aspect to this man-made
creation is that, it now attracts large numbers of aquatic birds, both resident
and migratory.
The building of the dam has resulted in one good thing - availability of water
round the year and the arrival of aquatic birds. Most of the river Pench remains
dry during the summer months The topography of the park is mostly quite level
with a few undulating hills that are criss-crossed by streams in which water
flows only during the monsoons and a part of the winter months. During the summer
months, few perennial streams, remnant pools in the river Pench and a small
part of the reservoir are the only sources of water in the park. A good time
to find animals quenching their thirst there. The park has an excellent variety
of animal species, the most popular of which among most visitors is obviously
the Tiger. More than 200 species of birds have been spotted in the park and
it is a birdwatchers paradise.
Prime Attractions of Pench National Park :
Pench is on its way to becoming the most popular wildlife destinations for eco-tourists.
In 1992, it gained the protection of "Project Tiger" and was declared
the 19th Tiger Reserve of India. In 2001, the tiger count of the park stood
at 55 wonderful specimens. The Pench National Park with its improving infrastructure,
ideal location for those also visiting the more famous Kanha and Bandhavgarh
national parks, the excellent accessibility, and satisfying abundance of wildlife
are sure to make it one of the favourite destinations in times to come for eco-tourists.
Flora -The vegetation is quite varied but the predominant species noticed
are teak and bamboo. The Kulu gum tree with it's stark white colour and brilliant
green leaves is also a favourite with all visitors. It is blessed with forests
spread in all the direction. As per the physiognomy, the forest type is southern
tropical dry deciduous teak and southern tropical mixed deciduous forest with
other species of shrubs, trees and climbers. Teak and its associates moyan,
mahua, mokha, skiras, tendu, bija, achar, garari, aonla, ghont, baranga, amaltas,
kihamali, khair, palas. Bamboo occurs sparsely, restricted to some valley.
Fauna - The Pench National Park is very rich in fauna and a number of
endangered species have made it their habitat. There are 25 tigers under this
umbrella of the Park. 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species
of amphibians and over 170 varieties of birds have already been listed. Apart
from mammals and other land-based wildlife, the park is also rich in bird life.
According to an estimation of the wildlife authorities, the bird population
in the park counts to be over 210 species like barbets, bulbul, minivets orioles,
wagtails, munias, mynas, waterfowls and blue kingfishers.
Safaris :
Visitors are allowed to explore the park in their own cars or jeeps as long
as they take along a guide from the main gate. If you're staying at one of the
resorts, the ideal mode of transport are the safari vehicles that each one of
them keep. Some of these are specially designed for wildlife sighting with different
level seating for an unobstructed view or the jungle. Another mode of moving
around within the park is on foot. Although this is a punishable offense in
most of the park, a specially organised nature walk is possible, with a wildlife
department guide, from Raiyakassa to Karmajhiri.
Elephant rides are ideal for tiger spotting and getting a true feeling of the
jungle. Besides utilising vehicles for tracking wildlife and the nature walk
from Raiyakassa to Karmajhiri, another option is an elephant ride available
mainly from Alikatta. On most occasions, these rides are taken by visitors when
a tiger is spotted and the mahouts make rounds to show them the pride of the
Indian jungles. However, true wildlife enthusiasts can also request for rides
when no tiger may have been spotted. This is an ideal way to truly experience
any jungle, with no vehicle engine or any other sound to shatter the harmony
of nature.
Best Time to Visit :
The wonderful views make you forget the extreme conditions that one has to endure
while traveling in peak conditions. The hottest period during the year is between
April and June, while the coldest months are end November to beginning February.
The ideal time for visiting the park is between November and February for excellent
weather and in April - June for the best chances of seeing tigers and other
animals close to the water bodies. The park receives an average annual rainfall
of 1300mm mainly during the months of July and August, when the park is shut
to visitors.
General Information Tips:
How to get there?
The best way of getting to the park is by taking a train or flight to Nagpur.
Nagpur is one of the major towns in the state of Madhya Pradesh and is well
connected to most parts of the country. Nagpur is approximately 95 km from the
gate at Turia. The other, although less used, option is to approach the park
from Jabalpur, 195 km from Karmajhiri. Pench being located on the Nagpur - Jabalpur
highway is quite easily accessible by the local transport options. Taxis are
easily available and charge around six rupees per kilometer.
Keep in mind that the taxi's return to Nagpur also has to be paid for. If taking
a taxi, you will obviously be dropped to your resort's doorstep. However, if
you plan to take a bus from Nagpur, you will have to get off at a small town
called Khwasa or at Suktara. Khwasa is the turn off point from the highway for
Turia, which is still a 13 km drive from there. Suktara is the turnoff point
for Karmajhiri, which is another 30 km from there. It is best to check with
the tourism department or resort owner for means of getting to Karmajhiri from
the highway.
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