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There are plenty of activity options opened for you within the Indian
Wild life Sanctuaries and they are not just restricted to watching
the animals and birds. |
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Home >> Wildlife National Parks India >> Pench National Park
Pench National Park
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.
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.
Safaris
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.
Other Attractions
Pachdhar Potters Village
Situated at a distance of just 18 km from the Turia gate, it is a small
but clean village. Potters can be spotted here sitting outside their homes
working on their wheels giving beautiful shapes to clay. The articles are
up for sale and at a cheap price at that.
Gond Village
There are a number of villages around the park. Trips can be organised to
these villages which are an excellent way to get a glimpse of the local
culture and customs of the gond people.
How to Get There
By 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).
By 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).
By 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.
Distances from Major Cities
Nagpur : 92 km (NE)/2 hrs.
Delhi : 768 km
Mumbai : 777 km.
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