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The Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve extends over an
area of 257 sq. km. in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hill ranges,
along the northern boundary of Nagpur District. It was declared a National Park
by the Government of Maharashtra in 1975 and received the official status of
"Tiger Reserve of India" in February 1999. the official status of "Tiger Reserve
of India" in February 1999.
The park gets its name
from the Pench River, which meanders through it
like a mammoth python, dividing it down the
center. Rich in its biodiversity, its terrain
defined by hills, valleys and the occasional
precipitous slope, Pench is an important
ecosystem supporting an abundance of flora and
fauna, including a rich variety of aquatic
life.
Not surprisingly, the beauty of
this part of central India has earned much
literary attention. The poet Kalidas writes
about the scenic charm of the place in his epics
Meghdootam and Sakuntalam. R.A. Strendale's
"Camp in the Satpura Hills" draws a vivid pen
picture of this idyllic paradise - as does
Forsyth's "Highlands of Central India".
Indeed, the Pench National Park is four
different forest regions in one, an extravagance
of trees, shrubs, grasses, climbers, weeds and
herbs, with teak being the most prominent of the
tree species. The park is home to 33 species of
mammals, 164 species of birds, 50 species of
fish, 10 species of amphibians, 30 species of
reptiles, and a wide variety of insect
life.
While primarily and reservation for
tigers and panthers, Pench is also home to
sambhar, chital, barking deer, nilgai, black
buck, gaur, wild boar, chausingha, sloth bears,
wild dogs, langurs, monkeys, mouse deer,
black-naped hares, jackals, foxes, hyenas,
porcupines, and flying squirrels, to name a few.
Here, birdlife is equally bountiful. The
feathered denizens of Pench include both
resident and migratory birds like Malabar pied
hornbills, Indian pittas, ospreys, grey-headed
fishing eagles, white-eyed buzzards, storks,
waterfowls, four endangered vulture species, and
the green pigeon, which is the State Bird.
Pench is a naturalist's dream come true;
a mind-expanding experience if ever there is
one.
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