Pench Wildlife Sanctuary

Pench Tiger Reserve is the lush region around the Pench river ranging from the southern areas of the Satpura range in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh and a part of it, reaching into Maharashtra. The terrain is undulating, with most of the area covered by small hills, steeply sloping on the sides.

The Reserve is situated in an area that holds a significant place in the natural history of the Central India . The description of its natural beauty, richness in flora and fauna has appeared in numerous wildlife books dating back to the 17 th century. Books written in the 19 th and early 20 th century by famous naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth and Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book explicitly present the detailed panorama of nature's abundance in this tract.

An extensive forest belt extends in three directions, north, east and south, covering forest tracts of Seoni, Balaghat and Nagpur districts. The contiguous forest on the southern side in the Maharashtra state of India , initially notified as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park has been recently included in the Project Tiger network by the same name as this Reserve. A dam was constructed on the Pench river on the southeastern boundary of the Reserve.

The area is crisscrossed by numerous seasonal streams and nullahs . The Pench river flowing through the central line of the Reserve is dry by the April-end but a number of water pools locally known as dohs are found, which serve as waterholes for wild animals. A few perennial springs also exist in this area. However, the water sources are not suitably distributed, hence large area remains unutilised by the wild animals. The Pench reservoir at the center of the Reserve is the only major water source during pinch period.

As the prey concentration is high along the Pench river, tigers usually inhabit this belt. Leopards, though, generally operate in the peripheral areas but are occasionally seen in the deep forests also. Jungle cats are commonly seen. Leopard cats, small Indian civets and palm civets are common but seen rarely.

Wild dogs are commonly seen in packs of up to 15, near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Wild boar is ubiquitous. Sloth bear occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chinkara is present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia, and Dudhgaon villages. Jackals are seen occasionally near Tekadi, Alikatta and Chhindimatta villages.

Rules and regulations

• Throwing litter is strictly prohibited
• Making a noise in the jungle, taking food into the jungle and stepping out of the vehicle in any area except the designated points will not be allowed
• Smoking and alcohol are not allowed inside the sanctuary, and this is non-negotiable. Any person found smoking inside the sanctuary or drinking or arriving drunk for the safari will be removed from the tour and no amount of his fees will be refunded.