Pench National Park
Pench National Park is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh. It shares its boundary with areas in Maharashtra. There is no access to the park from the Maharashtra. In MP this park is located in the Seoni district and named after Pench River which flows from north to south through the park.
This area was discovered in 1863 when first Inspector General of Forests Dr Dietrich Brandis toured the area. It was declared a reserve forest in 1929 but hunting was allowed until 1970-71. In 1977 the area was notified as Pench Wildlife Sanctuary. In 1983 it was declared as National Park and in 1992 as Tiger reserve. It is 19th reserve to be protected under the Project Tiger.
The area is covered by small hills which include Chindi, Matta, Khumabdeo, Khariban Matta, Ajral Matta, and Kalapahar. This reserve was opened for the tourists two years back. Its natural beauty, biodiversity and rich flora and fauna has found mentioned in many 17th century travel books. Pench forms part of a 2500 sq km area called the Satpura-Maikal landscape. There are three gates - Turia gate, Karmajhuri gate and Jamtara gate to the park. There are 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians and 210 varieties of birds.
Facts and Figures about Pench Tiger Reserve:
Area: 758 sq.km
Core Area: 292.85 sq.km
Getting to Pench National Park:
By Air:
The nearest airport is at Nagpur.
By Rail:
The nearest station is at Badnera which is 110 km from the reserve.
By Road:
NH 7 from Nagpur via Kamptee and Kanhan to Khawasa just after the Maharashtra-MP border. Nagpur to Khawasa is 80 km.
Best time to visit Pench National Park:
The park is open from October to June but November to Mid March is best for the visit when the weather is just ideal for animal sightings.
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