Nestled on the southern periphery of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh adjoining the brinks of Maharashtra and roosted along the meridional reaches of the Satpura Mountain Ranges the Pench National Park; the celebrated realm of tigers is a wildlife reserve and a conservation area that provides a safe haven to diverse species of birds, animals, reptiles and amphibians in a secured natural habitat. The Pench Tiger Reserve is honored to be the 19th Project Tiger Reserve of India. Covering the woodsy expanses of the Seoni and Chhindwara districts and cuddled in the AVSM Belt (Aravali, Vindhyanchal, Satpura and Maikal Ranges) the Pench National Park is spread over an all-encompassing sweep of about 758 square kilometers. The sanctuary derives its epithet from the name of the river Pench that cruises through the park in a serpentine course from north to south.

Prospering in its biodiversity and enveloped with the dense veil of tropical moist deciduous forest the topography of the Pench National Park bears the veneer that is featured with the lofty hills, intermittent precipitous slopes and luxuriant valleys teeming with abounding foliage. The undulating terrain of Pench dressed up in teak mixed woodlot varies in its altitude from 425 meters to 675 meters above the MSL. The landscape is traversed by oodles of seasonal streams, rivulets, perennial springs and several water pools locally known as ‘doh’ which act as the source of drinking water for the wild animals, especially when the Pench River dries up in summer. A dam has been constructed over the Pench River on the south-eastern fringes of the Pench National Park.

Originally covering the total area of 449.39 square kilometers and declared a sanctuary by the Government of Maharashtra, the then ‘Pench Sanctuary’ came into being in the year 1977. Later on in 1983 AD nearly 292.85 sq km of land was gathered up from the Pench Sanctuary and upgraded to the status of the ‘Pench National Park’. The left over domain of 118.31 square km still retained its rank as the ‘Pench Sanctuary’. Subsequently, in 1992 the geographical area of this wildlife reserve was extended up to 757.89 sq km which combined both the National Park and the Sanctuary. This newly expanded nature preserve was proclaimed the 19th Project Tiger Reserve of India by the Central Government in the same year. In recent times in the year 2002 the Pench National Park was re-notified by the government as the ‘Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park’ while the Pench Sanctuary was re-notified as the ‘Mowgli Pench Sanctuary’. Presently, the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park covers the total area of 299 sq km. Moreover, the wildwood of the Maharashtra State that flanks the sanctuary towards its southern selvage, which was initially promulgated as the ‘Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park’, has been lately merged with the Project Tiger Network of Pench.

The most ideal season for visiting the Pench National Park extends between February and April. The Park is kept open for the tourists from 6:00 am to 10:30 am and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Pench National Park remains closed from July to September every year while is remains open from 1st October to 30th June. The morning safari in winter starts at 7:30 am and concludes at 10:30 am while the evening safari in winter takes off at 3:00 pm and finishes at 5:30 pm. During the summer season, the morning safari begins at 6:30 am and terminates at 9:30 am whilst the evening safari commences at 4:00 pm and winds up at 6:30 pm.

Flora
The bailiwick of the Pench National Park is predominantly shrouded with Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest. The land is exclusively carpeted with the maze of grasses, plants, saplings and bushes. The timberland of the Pench Reserve is mainly brimming with teak trees and other botanical species such as Saja, Moyan, Lendia, Mahua, Haldu, Mokha, Dhaora, Skiras, Salai, Tendu, Aonla, Bija, Amaltas, Achar, Bhaman, Baranga, Khair, Kihamali, Palas, Garari, Bhirra, Ghont and sparse Bamboo. The most prominent attraction of the Pench Forest is its White Kulu (Sterculia Urens) trees which conspicuously become distinct among the diverse tinges of green.

Fauna
According to the Tiger Census of 2011, the Pench National Park houses 25 tigers under its protected umbrella while the sanctuary is also populated with 39 species of mammals, 285 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles, 50 species of fishes, 10 species of amphibians, 45 species of butterflies and 54 species of moths and other insects.

Mammals: The Pench National Park harbors various mammals including Tiger, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat, Wolf, Jackal, Black-Naped Hare Fox, Striped Hyena, Wild Pig, Wild Dog, Mongoose, Sloth Bear, Dhole, Small Indian Civet, Common Palm Civet, Pangolin, Blue Bull, Chowsingha, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Chinkara, Chital, Gaur, Rhesus Macaque, Common Langur, Indian Porcupine, etc in its safeguarded asylum.

Avifauna: The Pench Reserve functions as a guarded abode to over 285 species of residential as well as migratory birds. Some of the most commonly spotted birds of Pench National Park include Bulbul, Red-Vented Bulbul, Barbets, Wagtails, Minivets, Blue Kingfishers, Mynas, Waterfowls, Peafowls, Junglefowls, Orioles, Munias, Crow Pheasant, Racket-Tailed Drongo, Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle, Crimson-Breasted Barbet, Magpie Robin, Egret, Herons, Pintail, Lesser Whistling Teal, Shoveler, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Osprey, White-Eyed Buzzard, Indian Pitta, Pochards, Bar Headed Geese, Brahmini Duck, Coots, Vultures, etc.

Reptiles: The most notable reptiles dwelling in the Pench National Park are; Indian Rock Python, Fresh Water Crocodile, Common Krait, Indian Chameleon, Cobra, Indian Flap Shell Turtle, Peninsular Black Turtle, and many others. Fishes: A wide range of fishes differing in their sizes, shapes and colors including Chalar, Sanbal, Kunda, Mahur, Padhan, Mahasir, Rohu, Dadai, Jhunda, Mrigal, Calbasu, and so on happily lodge in the water bodies within the premises of the Pench Nature Reserve.

Fishes: A wide range of fishes differing in their sizes, shapes and colors including Chalar, Sanbal, Kunda, Mahur, Padhan, Mahasir, Rohu, Dadai, Jhunda, Mrigal, Calbasu, and so on happily lodge in the water bodies within the premises of the Pench Nature Reserve