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Pench National Park
Location: Southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh
Area: 758 sq. km.
Major Wildlife Attractions: Tiger
Best time to visit: Nov to Mar
Places to Stay: Pench Jungle Camp, Kipling's Court
About Pench National Park
Pench National Park, situated on the
southern fringes of Madhya Pradesh is known for its fearless tigers.
The area was declared a reserve forest in 1929 but hunting permits
were available till 1970-71 when the government woke up to the serious
threat posed to the animal population and an area of 449.39 sq. km.
was notified as the Pench Wildlife Sanctuary in 1977. Further in 1983,
it was accorded the status of a national park and was made a part of
the project tiger in 1992.
It is best to take as many trips into the jungle as possible, which
will increase your chances of spotting animals. Early morning rides
can be the most rewarding when odds of spotting animals are the
highest. The temperatures in winters can drop to as low as 1 or 2
degrees. Carry all the warm clothes and wear them in layers. The time
of dawn is when you hear noises and bird calls which your guide can
help identify.
Jeep safari and elephant rides can be especially rewarding for
sighting some rare animals. Take an early dawn safari when the animals
come out in the open in search of food and water. Jeep safaris and
elephant rides are available during morning and evenings. The safari
timings are, Morning : Nov1-Feb15 & May1-Jun30 (6-11 AM),
Feb16-Apr30 (6 AM-12:20 PM). Evening : Nov1-Feb15 (2:30-5:30 PM),
May1-Jun30 (3:30-6:20 PM), Feb16-Apr30 (4-7 PM). It is better to sit
next to the guide so you can hear every instruction and information
being told. Ask questions to increase your knowledge.
Wildlife Attractions in
Pench National Park
The park is known for its population of the fearless master predator.
Most of the tourists come to visit the place, hoping to catch a
glimpse of the Tiger. Pench offers its visitors numerous wildlife
attractions which include over 39 species of mammals, 13 species of
reptiles, 3 species of amphibians and more than 210 varieties of
birds.
Some of the prominent avian residents of the park include the barbet,
bulbul, minivet oriole, wagtail, munia, myna, malabal pied hornbill,
collared scops, owl, waterfowl and blue kingfisher among other variety
of animals which can be commonly seen adorning the skies of Pench.
Major mammalian species found in the region include animals like
cheetal, sambar, nilgai, wild pig, tiger, leopard, jungle cat, leopard
cat, striped hyena, wild dog, wolf, sloth bear, pangolin and the
mighty Indian gaur.
Best Time to Visit Pench National Park
The ideal time to visit the Pench National Park is between the months
of November to March (The park remains open from October to June).
How to Get there
Air: Nagpur is the nearest airport connected by daily Indian
Aitlines flight from Delhi (5:50) & from Mumbai (6:40 &
19:40). Jet Airways flies daily to Nagpur from Delhi (18:20) &
from Mumbai (7:05 & 19:40).
Rail: Nagpur is the nearest railhead connected by regular
trains from major Indian cities. Some of the important daily trains
are from Delhi, G T Exp. (18:40), Tamil Nadu Exp. (22:30), Kerala Exp.
(11:30), Dakshin Exp (22:50). Daily trains from Mumbai are Vidarbha
Exp. (19:40), Sewagram Exp. (15:10), Howrah Mail (20:35) while those
running Bangalore-Nagpur are the Sampark Kranti (23:30, except Tue &
Thu) and Chennai-Nagpur are the Grand Trunk Exp. (16:30), Tamil Nadu
Exp. (22:20), Navjivan Exp. (9:35).
Road: The route from Nagpur is through the national highway
no. 7 to Khawasa via Kamptee, Mansar, Deolapar and Manegaon. From
here, take the district road to Pench National Park. |
