Bidding adieu to
‘Chitvan’ and to Kanha (Read more about this trip here : http://rantsofleonard.blogspot.in/2016/05/visit-to-evergreen-jewel-kanha-tiger.html) Me, Sameer, Shriram and Amruta Got into the Ertiga, our pick up for the
travel to Pench Tiger reserve. The Ertiga Driver Umar Bhai was a cool cucumber
chap who drove the car swiftly but quite safely through the smooth roads.
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere and below a shady tree we made a quick pit
stop to polish off the packed lunch provided to us by ‘Chitvan’.We continued on
the road to pench with Umar Bhai pushing up the accelerator a little bit more.
The Ever vigilant Shriram who sat beside him engaged him in small talk in order
to keep him alert while Me, Amruta and Sam dozed off for some time in the back
seats. The Road passes through some pristine forests and eye pleasing Ghats. We
were engaged in some small talk when vishaka called up and confirmed that she
had arrived at the Tiger and Woods resorts where it was decided to be put up.
Upon reaching the hotel we were welcomed by a smiling Vishaka. Accompanying her
was Monu our friend cum gypsy driver cum travel car and gypsy fleet owner cum award
winning photographer cum excellent tracker. As you can see, Monu Bhiya as we
call him, wears a lot of hats, and carries huge responsibilities on his young
shoulders but is always at hand for any and all help needed to make our stay comfortable.
We checked our allotted rooms at the Tiger and Woods resorts
but did not at all find them satisfactory (No proper cleanliness in the rooms,
gaps in the walls of the tree houses due to which there was a problem of
insufficient room cooling and of mosquitoes.The property and surroundings were also not properly maintained and cleaned) We then decided to shift to the nearby Tribal camp
which was a little further away from the entry gate.
You will fall in love with the Tribal camp set up. Nestled
cosily in the wilderness amidst the flora and fauna of Pench, It has a
centrally located raised wooden machan with lounge chairs on top sitting
prettily under a huge green leafy Mahua Tree , couple of Swings hang ready for
you to take a nip, amazingly softly cushioned sofas lie strategically placed
for you to just laze into, soft green lawn covers an adjacent circular ground
and surrounding this central area are around 12 to 15 air conditioned elevated wooden
cottages inviting you with their raw rustic appeal. The log cottages are sans
the traditional brick and mortar holiday home types. Covered with dried grass
that nature has built to absorb heat or cold, it gives you a glimpse of living
ecologic! The log cottages or wooden Machaans also benefit the environment
apart from several health benefits. Each Log cottage interior uses space
judiciously and is designed with a lot of thought to create an authentic feel.
With all essential living amenities, attached toilets and bathrooms with
bathtubs and complete with hot and cold running water, and air conditioners you
are assured of an excellent and comfortable stay.
Extending outwards from every cottage, is a large wooden
deck overlooking the jungle - You can spend the evening gazing at the setting
sun giving way to star sprinkled skies at night, with the gentle breeze for
company lying on the comfortable beach chairs kept on it. The quaint mud and
jute restaurant, with khaats and fresh food, offers fine dining with a range of
cuisines, suited to each palate.
 |
| Tribal camp and its Surroundings |
We were a unique group of friends from varied backgrounds
with a common denominator of love for nature and a craze for photography.
Sameer-The calm and composed Nisarga Brahman’s lead who works in TIFR also a
good Photographer, Vishu – IT professional, funny and easy-going from Pune but
unlike the typical “Punekars” :P , Shriram –
Photographer, avid traveller and a businessman and The Quite Amruta a
Dietician by profession and a budding Photographer (Got some Excellent Healthy eating tips from
her). We all got along well and made a good spirited group. Cracking jokes,
sharing stories about past trips, offering advice about respective fields of
expertise and basically having one hell of a wonderful time. You come to know
how a wonderful trip can be enriched by the people you travel with.
Shriram, Sam and I were put up in one wooden cottage while Vishu
and Amruta were staying in the one adjacent to ours. There were many water
feeders/small ponds spread across the property which in turn attracted many
birds.With plenty of time on our hands we started
photographing the birds we could see. In a span of two evening hours I counted
around 15 species of birds in the Tribal camp premises. Indian Rollers, Golden
Orioles, Black Hooded Orioles, Black Napped Monarch, Jungle Babblers, Tickle’s
Blue flycatcher, Male and Female Paradise Flycatcher, Magpie Robin, Common
Robin, Grey Hornbill, a pair of Great Tits, Asian Pied Starling, Purple
sunbird, Kingfishers, plum headed parakeets were some of the birds spotted.
By now a little hungry we had some hot, crispy pakoras and
Lemon grass Tea sitting on top of the machan. Our dinner preferences were asked
and conveyed to the kitchen staff. After Freshening up a little bit we had a awesome dinner in the quaint mud and jute restaurant. The Food was tasty and filling.
Service was quick and spot on. After dinner prof.sam conducted a class/lecture on star gazing while Asst.prof.Shriram chipped in with valuable info
all with live practical’s (Looking up the beautiful star lit sky). I got a crash
course in star gazing, the milky way, various ‘nakshatras’, names of stars,
Hindu Mythology, how to correctly identify the location of North pole with the
help of the Ursa Major constellation also known as ‘SaptRushi’. Whew, I hadn’t
had such huge tons of knowledge in such a short time since cramming for my
Engineering vivas!!!!! Another advantage
of travelling with a varied group of people. Reluctantly we called it a day as
we had an early morning start for the first safari tomorrow.
Waking
up and after a quick getting over of the morning formalities had some good
lemon grass Tea and biscuits.There are three entry gates to the park, the
Turia gate (the most convenient entry gate), Karmajhuri gate and the Jamtara
gate. Monu was ready with the safari jeep and we were on our way to the Turia
Gate of the Pench Tiger Reserve for our first safari of the Trip. We soon
reached the gates and parked the gypsy in the waiting queue to enter into the
reserve gates. Upon completing the usual
registration and ID formalities we entered the jungle.
It is the visits to such places of scenic beauty
that will cause you to stop and wonder at the awesomeness of nature. As you pass
through deciduous teak jungles for hours without end, you will feel humbled and
awed by the presence of Mother Nature. The fascinating and almost silent jungle
environment (apart from the rustle of leaves and the occasional cry of a monkey
or a bird call) ensures the time spent is not at all tiring but refreshing. During
the safari, you could just sit back in the Jeep spotting the wide variety of
mammals and birds and feel one with the jungle.
Pench National park, nestling in the lower southern
reaches of the satpuda hills is named after Pench river, meandering through the
park from north to south and is contiguous with the forest on the southern side
in Maharashtra that has been notified as the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National
Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh, bordering
Maharashtra, in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. Pench National Park,
comprising of 758 SQ Kms, out of which a core area of 299 sq km of Indira
Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and remaining
464 sq km of Pench national park is the buffer area. The area of the present
tiger reserve has a glorious history. A description of its natural wealth and
richness occurs in Ain-i-Akbari. Several natural history books like R. A.
Strendale's 'Seonee - Camp life in Satpura Hills,' Forsyth's 'Highlands of
Central India' and Dunbar Brander's 'Wild Animals of Central India' explicitly
present the detailed panorama of nature's abundance in this tract. Strendale's
semi-autobiographical 'Seonee' was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's The
Jungle Book.
 |
| Mowgli and his Many Friends |
Kipling borrowed heavily from Robert Armitage Strendale's books
'Seonee', 'Mammalia of India and Ceylon' and 'Denizens of the Jungle' for the
topography, wildlife, and its ways. Mowgli was inspired by Sir William Henry
Sleeman's pamphlet, 'An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens'
which describes a wolf-boy captured in Seoni district near the village of Sant
Baori in 1831. Many of The Jungle Book's locations are actual locations in
Seoni District, like the Waingunga river with its gorge where Sherkhan was
killed, Kanhiwara village and the 'Seeonee hills'. Local tribals, mostly
Gonds, revere Mansingh Deo, a legendary figure who was believed to be a magician
who had supernatural healing powers. He would ride into the local bazaar on his
tiger. There are two temples dedicated to him, the Chhota Mansingh and Bada
Mansingh temples.
Pench will seldom disappoint a birdwatcher. Over
170 species have already been recorded. Here you will be greeted by the Little
Grebe and you may see darters, herons, egrets, Whitenecked Stork, pigeons,
parakeets or cuckoos. Mynahs, shrikes, orioles, bulbuls, tailor birds, barbets,
minivets, sunbirds, wagtails and munias are other birds a visitor could be
rewarded with. Water birds are often found around the artificial wetlands
created by the submergence of the Pench reservoir. The area is on the migratory
route of waterfowl in winter. The area is located in the lower, southern
reaches of the Satpura ranges, around 580 m. above sea level. The terrain is
undulating, covered with several small hills jutting out like sharp cones.
Day one and we were allotted Route No. 1 – which goes something like this:
Piyorthadi (currently closed by Forrest Department due to presence of Sharmili’s
cubs)- Junewani- Bijamatta-Sapat- Kalapahad-Chindimatta-Zandimatta.
As we took the turn and climbed the slope for the approach to the lake
known as Junewala Talab, Monu with his sharp eyes noticed some movement on the
ground. He braked the gypsy and pointed out a crested serpent eagle feasting on
a snake Kill. Taking some shots of the bird we moved on. Up ahead we stopped to
click a grey hornbill feasting on some fruit tree. Further while passing
through the dense foliage of the Sitaghat area a Jungle owlet flew past our
gypsy crossing the track and sat a little bit ahead on the other side. This guy
is normally so well camouflaged with its surrounding that it’s extremely
difficult to spot him while moving in the jungle. We got a couple of shots of
the Jungle Owlet before it went off the perch in search of prey. As we moved
ahead on the safari track our guide pointed out a pair of Malabar Hornbills
feasting on a wild fig tree. We also saw a Pair of Vultures sitting atop a
tree. Inquiring further with experts I came to know that they were of TWO
different species – the one on the Left being Indian or Long Billed vulture (Gyps
Indicus) and the other being White-Rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
 |
| Vultures : L to R: Indian or Long Billed vulture (Gyps Indicus) and White-Rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis). |
Moving ahead we waited near the Tirah route to take in and hear if there
were any alarm calls. We could see the play of a pair of Greater Racket Tailed
Drongo’s on a small tree adjacent to the route. I tried clicking a couple of
shots but these guys were so swift that I could barely focus. One moment they
would be perched in lovely light but the moment I put the camera to my eye they
would be off chasing each other. I was engrossed in their behaviour when vishu
nudged me and pointed to a bird sitting in shadows on the other side of the
road. I looked carefully and saw that it was a Common Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx
varius), popularly known as the brain fever bird.
It was decided to check the area of the collarwali female and her cubs
at Beejamatta area. When we got there we saw that the Forest department personnel were patrolling the area on elephant back. Collarwali and
her cubs (Two Adult males from first litter ~ Age being almost 3 years and two
female cubs from second litter ~ Age being almost 12 months.) were being
constantly monitored by the Forest department. The Elephant with the personnel
on top moved in almost every nook and corner even in small valleys trying to
find the mother and her cubs who had not being sighted for some days.
We hung around for quite some time but the tigress and her cubs were nowhere to
be heard or seen and we decided to move on. Monu decided to check out the Naya
talab area to see if the female sighted there had made an appearance. We made
our way over there and waited just below some shady trees where the rise starts
at the base of the waterhole. We had no direct view of the waterhole but a
gypsy waited ahead on top in full glare of the sun and with direct line of
sight to the water. Monu’s thinking was to not wait in the sun that too in such
heavy heat. When on sighting the tiger there would be a huge “churning /
commotion” as normally happens amongst the gypsies stationed at the top and of
the people in it thus
signalling to us from our current shady and comparatively cool waiting spot
after which we would move in for the sighting.
The heat was so high that almost every half an hour or so we had to take
a cool sip from one of the water bottles in the Icebox kept in the gypsy by our
thoughtful hotel staff. I would like to mention here that the difference in
temperatures between Kanha-A Evergreen Forest and Pench-A dry deciduous one is
huge. While the temperatures at kanha in mornings would be quite cold even for
this time of the summer season (So Cold that staff at Chitvan actually inquired
with us and especially with the ladies if they needed warm blankets for
protection while travelling in the gypsies!!!) the mercury here in Pench was
really hitting the roof.
We were in the middle of one such water break and had popped some sweets
in our mouths courtesy vishu when the guide from the gypsy standing on the top
signalled for us to come up. Monu was on the accelerator almost immediately and
took us up and positioned the vehicle in a spot where we would get a good line
of sight as well as angle to get some excellent shots. The Patdev Female was
on the move. This female has three sub-adult cubs who stay with her but who are
extremely shy and hence rarely seen. Now as I trained my binoculars near the
thick vegetation in the small valley besides the water hole I could see the
tigress walking carefully but confidently towards the water. Between a flurry
of camera clicks she walked the open ground near the small water body that
remains in the summer and promptly immersed in it to cool herself. From where
all the jeeps stood we were unable to see the tigress sitting in the water. From
time to time she would raise her head and check the surroundings. After
drinking the water to her full she lay in it for another 20-25 minutes. After cooling
in the water to her full the splendid animal got up and walked towards the bund
made around the talab, her coat glistening in the midday sun she started
climbing the slope.
 |
| The Patdev Female Coming out of the Waterhole |
By now the surrounding was filled by the clicks of the numerous
cameras trained on her from the surrounding gypsies. Oblivious to and Ignoring
all this feverish activity around her the tigress after climbing the slope
walked on the bund and then going past some bushes crossed the gypsy track
route and disappeared into the jungle into the other side. We could see her on
and off walking in the dense jungle. A herd of deer gave out some alarm calls
while she stopped for some time but then completely went out of sight. It was
almost time to head out for the gates so we decided to call it a day.
A quick and tasty lunch later we were back at the gates for the afternoon
safari. While we were waiting for the gates to open at the scheduled hour a
local woman approached us with a small basket of goodies. Selling fresh forest
produce wrapped neatly in cones made from leaves her basket contained assorted
goodies such as sweet and sour thin Strips of delicious tasting mangoes, dark
red ripe berries sprayed with a dash of salt and steamed pods of dry peanuts. A
very excited Amruta bought a cone from the lady and began gleefully enjoying
the stuff. Offered a taste by her I too enjoyed some of them.
 |
| Basket of goodies. |
This afternoon our second safari
the route was similar to that of the morning.Checking various water holes
on the way we headed to the Bijamatta talab. On one water hole we found a pack
of around twenty wild dog’s and their cubs resting/sleeping in various
positions. Monu informed us that this was the wild dog’s favoured location and
they could be found here almost all of the time. We continued towards Bijamatta
talab and upon reaching saw that a Sambar kill had been made almost near the
lake waters, but it lay untouched on the spot. Discussing with Monu and our
guide we came to know that the kill was most likely made at night and might
have been made by the prominent male of this area – The Rayyakasa Male .We
waited for the Tiger to make a show and sure enough after some time this huge
guy stepped out from jungle behind the lake. I was totally mesmerised by this
hulk of a tiger. He walked straight out to the water and drank his full, and
then started walking on the water’s edge. After he had reached his favourite spot he turned around and got into the water. He lay there for
almost an hour before standing up. Soaking wet and water dripping from his
golden coat he walked right past the kill and slowly disappeared back into the
jungle. We were not going to be treated of the sight of a tiger having his meal
after all!!!!
 |
| The Dominant,Majestic and Huge Rayyakasa Male |
Pench has been a perfect
spot for me to learn. It was here that I had my first proper sighting of a wild
tiger. (You can read about that exciting encounter here: http://rantsofleonard.blogspot.in/2016/05/sighting-queen-sharmili-tigress-at.html) It has taught me patience, observation and behaviour.
Behaviour of not only the tiger but also about its various inhabitants such as
bears, birds, antelopes,gaurs and primates. What makes this forest a
photographer’s delight is the varied landscape, numerous water bodies,
mountains, vast grasslands and the meadows around the Pench River which runs
through the Reserve. Since this forest is visited by photographers from around
the globe, one needs to find ways of getting creative in capturing and
presenting his or her work. Knowing tiger behaviour is very imperative in
capturing the right moment.
Day two and the third safari of the trip. Today morning we were allotted
the Route No. 2 – which goes something like : Baghinnala-karmazari-Rayakassa-Malkundam-Alikatta-Patdev-Tirah-Jodamatta-Sitaghat-Jodamunara-Bison
camp-Bodhanala. Once inside we took the long route through dense forest to
reach the Karmazari gate. We saw couple of leopard pugmarks along with its cubs
near a waterhole. We waited for some time but the shy animal that the leopard
is it rarely comes out in the open in the presence of gypsies or humans. We
continued further and waited for some time near a waterhole just besides the
Karmazari entry gate as a huge male tiger is sometimes seen near here. Seeing
no activity or even alarm calls around us we continued further. On the way we
stopped to shoot a pair of streak-throated woodpeckers.
Going ahead we reached
the Bodhnala forest check post which sits prettily opposite the Bodhnala Lake
and a small check dam. We stopped here for some time to take a bathroom break
and had a chat with the Forrest officials stationed there.
 |
| The Bodhnala Lake opposite which there's a forest check post |
Monu
then decided to check the kill we saw yesterday at the Bijamatta talab. The kill
was nowhere to be seen (most likely shifted by the tiger to some other place in
the night) but to our dismay just as we reached Bijamatta we saw the Rayyakasa
Male walking off into the jungle.This was a good opportunity we had lost as there were favourable lighting conditions for shooting.Shriram was especially crestfallen as due to
low lighting conditions and strong backlight yesterday he was unable to make
proper images of the Rayyakasa male.But nature is unpredictable and you have to face up and take the dissapoinments in you stride.
All of us were hungry at this point of time so we decided to have
breakfast. We reached Ali Katta, a central point for all the safari routes
where some of the safari vehicles were already parked. Apart from being a restroom stop, and a breakfast point Ali Katta is also the base for elephants that
are deployed for patrolling by the Forest department. After having some
sandwiches and snacks along with other refreshments packed for us by our Hotel
we headed back into the trail. Returning back we checked the Junewala
Talab for any activity but apart from
some Langur’s, deer and a lone crested serpent eagle sitting on a tree perch
everything looked still and silent in this rising heat. We headed out for the
gates as time was almost up.
Reaching our hotel there was still time for lunch so we had a small
photo shoot of our group. Various and all types of poses were tried and clicked
at various corners of the property. I had a chat with the proprietor of our
Hotel Tribal Camp Mr. Sandeep Singh a jolly personality who had dropped by. He
shared some interesting tit bits about the property. While we were chatting a
member of his staff informed us that our lunch was ready. Swapping stories over
a tasty and leisurely lunch we retired to our cottages for a tiny nap.
Fourth safari and we took
a different route to check out the water hole near the Karmazari gate. This
route was from the Baghinala area. Enjoying the jungle and going slowly we
stopped to click the many birds which were sighted. We stumbled on a wild
Jackal walking quite fearlessly and gaily on the safari track.
 |
| Jackal walking on the safari track. |
He gave us a
cursory glance and marked his territory on a tree nearby and went ahead on the
track. We reached the Karmazari gate waterhole but instead of a Tiger we found
a Huge Bison munching lazily on some wild flowers that hung from a creeper near
the waterhole.After waiting for some
time moving ahead we saw a Jungle Fowl pair grazing besides the track. On
seeing our approaching gypsies both disappeared under the bushes adjacent to
the route and were soon out of site. Moving further we reached the evergreen meadows of the Sitaghat
area where loud alarm calls could be heard from the opposite banks of the Pench
River. Scanning the jungle on the other ends with the help of binoculars I
could see couple of deer standing on the alert with their tails high up
in the air while a Jackal moved along lazily at the same time. A predator was
definitely in the area but we could not locate it. This was the area of the
tigress Collarwali and her cubs from The Rayakassa male tiger.
 |
| Sitaghat area |
As we were waiting on the river banks we could
see three elephants with their patrol Forrest guards moving towards us from the
thick jungle bush. Like yesterday they were trying to locate the Collarwali
female tigress and her cubs. On reaching us our guide and gypsy driver
exchanged pleasantries with the guards before they continued on their way.By
now the sun was pretty down the horizon and was starting to spread its golden
rays upon the Forrest track. I clicked some frames of the beautiful golden
landscape that lay ahead. On the way back we made a quick stop at AliKatta
where I clicked some frames in the sunset hours and we were out of the gates
within stipulated time.
 |
| AliKatta - Rest Point |
It was here in the
same area that I managed to get a silhouette of my favourite bird a Rufous
Paradise Flycatcher Male. Next up we decided to check out collarwali and her
cubs at Piyorthadi but waiting there for more than an hour and seeing no
movement at all we moved further to the Rayakassa Forest Camp area for a quick
break for pressure relief ;). Now the time was almost up for us to leave but we
decided to check out the Bijamatta Talab to see if the Rayakassa Male had made
appearance at the water body. Reaching there we saw almost twelve gypsies
waiting for the Tiger to make an appearance. We waited at the Bijamatta Talab
till almost past time to head for the gates but it seems today we were not to
be treated a sighting. We turned back for the gates and to our hotel.
After freshening up we had our lunch and proceeded to click
some pics of the property. Clearing up the checkout formalities we bid adieu to
Monu who had dropped by to say goodbye and also to the staff of Tribal Camp. It
was Umar Bhai again who was to drop us off to the Railway station. On reaching Nagpur
we made the customary stop at Haldiram’s outlet at Birdy’s for some orange
Barfi and other delicacies.
For More Pictures please Visit :
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https://www.facebook.com/LeonardoDaFotogravinci/
https://500px.com/leonardrebello
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/389544/
https://www.facebook.com/LeonardoDaFotogravinci/
Some valuable Information You Can Use about the Pench Tiger Reserve:
Topography: The terrain of the park is undulating with mainly
gentle slopes criss-crossed by streams and nullahs. Most of these water courses
are seasonal. Many of the hills are flat-topped and allow fine vistas of the
forests around. The best known of these is 'Kalapahar' with an altitude of 650
mts. The Pench river flowing through the centre of the Reserve is dry by April
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. Recently a
number of earthen ponds and shallow wells have been developed leading to well
distributed sources of water all around the reserve.
Conservation History: In the year 1977 an area of 449.39 sq km was
declared Pench Sanctuary. Out of this, an area of 292.85 sq km was declared
Pench National Park in the year 1983 and 118.31 sq km remained as Pench Sanctuary.
In 1992 Government of India declared 757.89 sq km area including the National
Park and the sanctuary as the 19th Tiger Reserve of the country. The name of
Pench National Park was changed to "Indira Priyadarshini Pench National
Park" in November 2002
Wildlife: Tiger is the main cat species of the park present
in good numbers. Commonly seen wildlife is chital, sambhar, nilgai, wild boar,
and jackal. Other wild animals found are leopard, sloth bear, wild dog,
porcupine, jungle cat, fox, striped hyena, gaur, chowsingha and barking deer.
There are more than 200 species of birds including several migratory ones. Some
of them are peafowl, junglefowl, crow pheasant, crimson-breasted barbet,
red-vented bulbul, racket-tailed drongo, magpie robin, lesser whistling teal,
pintail, shoveler, egret and herons. This national park is rich with chitals
i.e. axis axis or more commonly spotted deer. There are 25 tigers under this
umbrella of the Park. 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species
of amphibians. Apart from mammals and other land-based wildlife, the park is
also rich in bird life. According to an estimation of the wildlife authorities,
the bird population in the park counts to be over 210 species like barbets,
bulbul, minivets orioles, wagtails, munias, mynas, waterfowls, kingfishers etc.
Vegetation: The high habitat heterogeneity favours high
population of Chital and Sambar. Pench tiger reserve has highest density of
herbivores in India (90.3 animals per sq km).The forests are mainly Southern tropical
dry deciduous and dry mixed deciduous forests.Teak Tectona grandis dominates,
comprising 25-50 per cent of the species. Moyan, Mahua, Mokha, Skiras, Tendu,
Bijra, Garari etc. are associates of teak. Dhaora Anogeissus latifolia,
lendia/seja Lageostroemia parviflora, saja Terminalia tomentosa, salai
Boswellia serrata, bija Pterocarpus marsupium, bhirra Chloroxylon swietenia and
sirus Albizzia lebbeck are other trees. Bamboo occurs sparsely, restricted to
some valleys. Chiltai, mahulbel and palas bhel are common climbers in areas
along the river and large water sources.
The Pench hydroelectric dam straddles the
Maharashtra - Madhya Pradesh boundary. The dam, constructed between 1973 and
1988 has resulted in the submergence of about 74 sq km area out of which 54 km
is in the Park, the rest being in Maharashtra.
Almost all the animals seen in Kanha, except barasingha, can be seen in
Pench. In April when the Pench river dries out, the animals use locally formed
dohs as waterholes. The submergence of the Pench reservoir at the centre of the
reserve acts as an artificial wetland where you may see hordes of water birds.
You'd probably see chinkara in small herds in open areas and sometimes around
Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.Wild dogs are seen in packs of 12 to 15 near
Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanal and Pyorthadi.The wild boar is found almost all over
the park, mainly in areas next to agricultural fields, especially in Chhindwara
district.You would probably catch the sloth bear in its favourite hangout amidst
the hilly, rocky outcrops and the mahulbel infested forests. Look
around for them especially at Kalapahad.Jackals are sometimes seen next to
villages near Tekadi, Alikatta and Chhindimatta.In the Bodanala and Budhgaon
tanks situated within the precincts of the park, a large number of migrant
waterfowl may be seen in winter. You may also see pigtailed ducks in large
numbers near Bodanala tank. The Dudhgaon talab in Chhindwara district also
attracts migratory birds. The pied or small blue kingfisher is also often seen
in Pench.
Points of interest:
- Turia Gate – entry point 2.2 km from ‘Tathastu’ (Pench Resorts)
- Alikatta – core and meeting point of the Park
- Junewani Talao – a small picturesque pond.
- Piyorthadi – sight where you can spot leopards
- Baghin Nala – most famous for Tiger sightings in the past few seasons
- Sitaghat /Raiyakassa – spectacular view of Pench river bank and spot for bird-watching
- Bijamatta – a pond with rocky land and picturesque hilly region
- Bodha Nala – Small lake with serene surrounding
- Chindimatta – junction of roads from Chhindwara-Seoni
- Kalapahad – highest point in the park. Wireless tower installed. Closed for tourists.
- Jamun Nala Area – mostly Grassland.
- Karmajhari – Entry gate on other side of Seoni Range.
