Planning To Visit The Pench Tiger Reserve? Here's A Complete Guide

The Pench Tiger Reserve is nestled in the southern slopes of the Satpura range of central India. It straddles Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and gets its names from the Pench River which flows from north to south and splits the park into two halves: the Priyadarshini National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary. This amazing landscape is the setting of “The Jungle Book” by author Rudyard Kipling.Here’s what you should know about planning a trip to the Pench Tiger Reserve.About The Protected AreaThe central Indian highlands have an extremely rich array of wildlife which were catalogued in the earliest records available about the 16th century Deogarh kingdom. The Pench Sanctuary was created in September 1977 with an initial area of 449.39 square kilometres. The tiger reserve was formed under the Project Tiger scheme in November 1992. The core area of the tiger reserve comes in at 411,330 square kilometres while the buffer area stands at 768,302 square kilometres.The forests in Pench Tiger Reserve are classified into three types: south Indian tropical moist deciduous, southern tropical dry deciduous teak forests and southern dry mixed deciduous forests. Much of the area under the teak forest supports good grass cover and is consequently a fine habitat for herbivores, especially the spotted deer.Over 1,200 species of plants have been recorded in Pench. This includes several rare and endangered plants as well as plants of ethno-botanical importance. A safari through the Pench Tiger Reserve could have you spot chital, sambar, wild boar, blue bull, gaur, barking deer, chinkara, leopards, wild dogs, wolves, jackals, foxes, palm civets, jungle cats, common mongoose, hyenas and of course, tigers. As of 2021, 53 tigers were living in the reserve and an estimated 80 tigers used the reserve regularly.There are over 325 species of resident and migratory birds at Pench including the Malabar pied hornbill, the Indian pitta, osprey, the grey-headed fishing eagle, the white-eyed buzzard, six species of vultures, the pintail duck, the bar-headed geese, mallards and more. In addition to this, there are 50 species of fish, 13 types of amphibians, 37 types of reptiles, 105 types of butterflies, 100 types of moths, 20 kinds of spiders, 35 types of dragon and damsel flies, and numerous other insects.What To Do In Pench Tiger ReserveThere are plenty of things you can do in Pench. We recommend starting with a nature trail where you will be led by trained guides on marked trails and encounter flora and fauna in their natural surroundings.Follow this up with the main attraction, a jungle safari. Buy a safari permit and see large herds of chital, the main elephant camp of the park called Alikatta, an abandoned village site that is partly submerged called Pyorthadi, the small hillock of Chindimatta which is next to the boating facilities of the park, the Karmajhiri forest village, the Bodanala irrigation tank on the park’s boundary where animals and birds flock to during the winter, and Chhedia, a relocated village in the park.Next, experience a boating adventure at the Pench reservoir by stepping onto a motorboat or paddleboat at Chindimatta.Where To StayThe Pench Tiger Reserve is currently closed to visitors for the duration of the monsoon season. It will reopen on October 1 so keep an eye on the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department website and social media accounts for the latest updates on booking an entry permit. Typically, the best time to visit the protected area is during the winter which lasts from November to March. The weather at this time remains pleasant for wildlife sightings and nature walks.Choose from the Banyan Tree Camp, Mowgli’s Den, the Olive Resort, the Mahua Vann Pench, the Pench Jungle Camp, the Jamtara Farmstay, the Pench Tree Lodge and MPT Kipling’s Court for your accommodation.Getting ThereThe closest airports are the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (NAG) in Nagpur and Jabalpur Airport (JLR). These two cities also have the nearest railway stations to the Pench Tiger Reserve. There are bus and taxi services to the protected area from the urban centres of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.