Pench National Park
Overview - Pench National Park
Pench National Park, another park famous for tiger safaris in India derived its name from the river ‘Pench’. It lies in Seoni and Chindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling comes to life in these forests. All characters in the book like ‘Sher Khan’ a vengeful Tiger, ‘Bagheera’, ‘Baloo’, the funny honey eating bear and pack of wolfs too, family of the main protagonist ‘Mowgli’ can be found in the jungle. The character of Mowgli was inspired by the real incident of a boy found by William Henry Sleeman in the year 1831, who was reported to be raised by a pack of wolf in the village of satavadi close to the hills in Seoni.
The park can be divided into three categories, southern tropical dry deciduous teak forest, southern tropical wet forest and mixed forest. Other than major teak trees one can find a mix of Saja, Mahua and Indian Ghost trees too. The vegetation is of undulating scrublands as well as bamboo patches around hilly areas.
Amongst more than 285 species of birds, some common resident birds of Pench National Park are Black Drongo, Spotted Dove, Laughing Dove, White-throated Kingfisher, Red- Wattled Lapwing, near the Totladoh Dam on river Pench. It’s also a birder’s paradise with species such as Common Kingfisher, Indian Pitta, Indian roller, Orial, Racket-Tailed Drongo, and Crimson-Breasted Barbet. Other birds of prey that can be spotted are Eagles, Buzzards, and Shikra.
Best Time to Visit Pench National Park
The best time to visit Pench is from October to April, when the climate averages a pleasant temperature of 30 Degree Celsius.
Highlight Species - Pench National Park
- Mottled Wood Owl
- River Tern
- Emrald Dove
- Yellow-footed Green Pegion
- Spot-billed Duck
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Asian Openbill Stork
- Common Hoopoe
- Red-naped Ibis
- Black Stork
- Orange-headed Thrush
- Lesser Whistling Duck
- Jacobin Cuckoo
- Red Avadavat
- Painted Francolin
- Spangaled Drongo
- Common Iora
- Golden-fronted Leafbird
- Tawny-bellied Babbler
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher
- Scarlet Minivet
- Malabar Pied Hornbill
- Shikra
- Red-headed Vulture
- Peregrine Falcon
- Black-Hooded Orile
- Purple Sunbird
- Grey-bellied Cuckoo
- Rudy Shelduck
- Painted Spurfowl
Types of Safaris - Pench National Park
Jeep Safaris, Walking Safaris and Boat Safaris : Best experienced through jeep, walking safari and Boat Safari. A memorable ride on Ken River helps the tourists witness the beauty of the Panna National Park by keeping a sharp eye on the migratory birds and amphibians. Even though the boat safari can be enjoyed at any time of the day, it is highly recommended to go for the dusk safari with an expert naturalist in tow.
By Air : Pench is a jungle, naturally not having an air strip. However, it is well connected to cities in Madhya Pradesh, that do. Nagpur – 100 kms and Jabalpur – 200 kms from the park, are well connected by air with major cities in the country, i.e. New Delhi and Mumbai.
By Train : Reaching Pench by Train is simple too. Trains to Nagpur Railway Station – 100 km and Jabalpur Railway Station – 190 km from the park, run from major cities in the country, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc. One can drive to Pench National Park post this point.
By Road : Pench is connected to major towns in Madhya Pradesh, that can be travelled to by air or by train.
1. Nagpur: At a mere distance of 100 kms, Nagour is just a 02 hour drive from the Park.
2. Jabalpur: At a mere distance of 200 kms, Jabalpur is just a 04-04.5 hour drive from the Park.
