Pench National Park

Pench National Park is located on the boundary of Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, close to Maharashtra's northern border. The reserve lies in the forest belt that extends to Balaghat in the east and Nagpur district to the south. The park is named after the Pench river 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 the panoramic beauty of this region that has been described as early as the beginning of the 20th century by naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth in 'Highlands of Central India' and by Rudyard Kipling in the 'Jungle Book'.

The Pench National Park, Nagpur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. The Pench National Park of Nagpur is located at a distance of 95 kms from the city of Nagpur. The total area covered by this national park is 542.66 square kms.

The fauna of the Pench National Park in Nagpur include Indian bison, tiger, wild dog and leopard. Many other species of wildlife can be viewed at this national park of Nagpur like Sambar, Chital, Deer, Nilgai and Wild Boar.

The ideal time to visit the Pench National Park is the time period from the month of February to the month of June. The national park is not open for public viewing during the monsoon season, that is, from the 1st of July to the 31st of October.

Forests and Wildlife
The undulating topography supports a mosaic of vegetation ranging from moist, sheltered valleys to open, dry deciduous forest. Over 1200 species of plants have been recorded from the area including several rare and endangered plants as well as plants of ethno-botanical importance.
The area has always been rich in wildlife. It is dominated by fairly open canopy, mixed forests with considerable shrub cover and open grassy patches. 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).

Salient Features:
Area:
Core : 292.85 sq. km.
Buffer : 465.00 sq. km.
Total : 757.85 sq. km.
Longitude : 79007'45" E to 79022'30"
Latitude: 21037'N to 21050'30" E
Altitude : 580-675 Mt. Above MSL
Rainfall : 1397 mm
Seasons :
Winter : November to February
Summer : March to mid-June
Monsoon : mid-June to September
Temperature:
Minimum : 3.1°F
Maximum : 47°F.

Places Near Pench National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park 
Tiger at Bandhavgarh National ParkBandhavgarh National Park is located in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh was declared as a national park in 1968 when the Maharaja of Rewa handed over the area to the government for it's formation.

Kanha National Park 
Tiger at Kanha National ParkKanha National Park is Kipling country and the nearby forests were the setting for the "Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. It's an outstanding national park and wildlife reserve of Central India, noted for its last remaining population of the hard-ground race of the Swamp Deer (approximately 380).

Nagzira National Park 
Tiger at Nagzira National ParkNagzira National park is situated in the Gondia district of Maharastra. The wildlife sanctuary is having the beauty of the nature with its picturesque landscape, luxuriant vegetation and serves as a living outdoor museum to explore and enjoy the best of the nature.

Tadoba National Park 
Tiger at Tadoba National ParkTadoba is situated in the Chandrapur district of the Maharashtra State of India. The Reserve contains some of the best of forest tracks and endowed with rich biodiversity. It is famous for its natural heritage. Tadoba Tiger reserve was created in 1995.

Special attractions of the Pench National Park of Madhya Pradesh:- 
Leopards
Indian Civets
Languors
Wild Dogs
Rhesus Monkeys
Palm Civets
Cheetal
Sambar
Nilgai
Pea Fowl
Red Jungle Fowl


Transport

By Air: Sonegaon airport at Nagpur is 70 km. away.

By Rail: The nearest metre gauge railhead is Seoni (30 km). Nagpur (70 km.) is a more prominent option since it is well connected to major towns and cities.

By Road: Buses can be boarded at Nagpur or Khawasa. From Maharashtra, the park can be approached via Pauni, which is 60 km. from Nagpur on NH7. The park is 10 km. away on the Pauni-Totladoh Road. In Madhya Pradesh, access is via Khawasa on NH7 (81 km. from Nagpur). The park is 12 km. away on the Khawasa-Karmajiri road. Ramtek (40 km.) is the closest bus-station.