Pench

Travel to Pench: History, Wildlife and Conservation

History of Pench

The Pench Tiger Reserve derives its name from the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the reserve. The reserve is located at the southern edge of the Satpura Hills, in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, India.

The terrain is undulating, with much of the area covered by small mountain ranges with steep slopes on their sides.

The reserve lies in a region that holds an important place in the natural history of central India. Descriptions of its natural beauty and rich flora and fauna have appeared in numerous wildlife books dating back to the 17th century.

Books written during the 19th and early 20th centuries by naturalists such as Captain J. Forsyth, as well as Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, provide detailed descriptions of the abundance of nature in this region.

An extensive forest area spreads in three directions — north, east and south — covering forested areas of the districts of Seoni, Balaghat and Nagpur.

The adjoining forest area to the south, in the state of Maharashtra, was initially notified as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park and was later included in the Project Tiger network under the same name as this reserve.

A dam was constructed across the Pench River along the southeastern boundary of the reserve.

Pench River and Water Sources

The region is crossed by numerous seasonal streams and nalas. The Pench River, which flows through the central part of the reserve, usually dries up towards the end of April.

However, several natural water pools known locally as dohs remain and serve as important watering points for wildlife.

A few perennial springs are also found in the area. However, water sources are not evenly distributed, leaving some stretches of the reserve less accessible to wildlife during the dry season.

The Pench Reservoir, located in the centre of the reserve, is the major source of water during the dry period.

Wildlife in Pench Tiger Reserve

Since prey concentration is high along the Pench River, tigers generally inhabit this belt.

Leopards usually operate in the peripheral areas, although they are occasionally sighted in the deeper forests as well.

Jungle cats are frequently observed. Leopard cats, small Indian civets and palm civets are also found in the reserve, although they are rarely seen.

Wild dogs are commonly seen in packs of around 12 to 15 animals, particularly near the Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas.

Wild boar are widespread throughout the reserve. Sloth bears inhabit hilly, agricultural and rocky forest areas, particularly where Mahua trees are abundant.

Chinkara are present in small numbers and can be found in open areas around the villages of Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon.

Jackals are occasionally seen near the villages of Tekadi, Alikatta and Chhindimatta.

Conservation of Pench

The Pench Tiger Reserve was established in 1992, becoming the nineteenth reserve in the Project Tiger network.

The core area of the reserve, Pench National Park, was established in 1983. It was carved out of the Pench Sanctuary, which had been established in 1977 with an area of approximately 449.39 sq. km.

The national park covers approximately 292.85 sq. km, divided almost equally between the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara:

• Seoni: 145.36 sq. km.
• Chhindwara: 147.28 sq. km.

The Seoni section consists entirely of Reserved Forest, while the Chhindwara section includes approximately 138.24 sq. km of Reserved Forest, 6.26 sq. km of Protected Forest and 2.78 sq. km of revenue land.

The buffer zone covers approximately 465 sq. km, consisting of:

• 333.05 sq. km of Reserved Forest.
• 102.36 sq. km of Protected Forest.
• 29.59 sq. km of revenue land.

The total area of the Pench Tiger Reserve is approximately 757.86 sq. km.

Hotels in Pench

• Pench Jungle Camp, Pench
• Budget Hotels in Pench
• Corbett Safari, Pench