Pench lies in Madhya Pradesh. Nestled in the southern sloes of the satpura ranges of central India, Pench Tiger Reserve(757.90 sq.kms)lies in southern Madhya Pradesh , bordering Maharashtra. The Pench National Park which constitutes the core of the Park is 292.86 sq.kms , and comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary. Pench was brought under Project Tiger in 1992 .
Pench National Park gets its name from the Pench river that flows through it, dividing it into the western Chhindwara Block (141.61 sq kms) , and the eastern Seoni Block (145.24 sq kms).
Over 1,200 species of plants have been recorded in the area including several rare and endangered plants as well as plants of ethnobotanical importance.
Pench National Park is the original setting of Rudyard kipling's famous work, The Jungle Book. The character, Mowgli, was inspired by Sir William Henry Sleeman's pamphlet, 'An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens' which describes a jungle boy captured in Seoni district near the village of Seoni district near the village of Sant Baori in 1831.
Pench being situated in Central India is subjected to extreme and tropical weather. Month of January may also witness sub-zero temperatures and frost. Monsoon arrives in the second week of June.
The forests found in Pench Tiger Reserve are divided into three parts as follows:-
1.Southern Tropical Wet Deciduous Forest
2.Southern Tropical Dry Teak Deciduous Forest
3.Southern Tropical Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest
Dry mixed forest spreads in about one-third area of the protected area. Whose main species are salai, pickle, moyan, tendu etc. Kahua (Arjuna), Jamuna, Guular and Saja are found along the banks of river streams. Trees of Mahua, Palash, Plum etc. are found scattered around the open forests of displaced areas of old villages. Teak forests are found in about one quarter area. There are about 82 types of grass species and Bamboo found in this forest area.
Pench is prime tiger country. The area has always been rich in wildlife. Pench Tiger Reserve has the highest density of herbivores in India, 90.3 animals per square kilometre. The area is especially famous for its huge population of gaur (Indian bison), cheetal, sambar, neelgai, wild dog and wild pig. Other animals in the Park include the sloth bear, chousingha, chinkara, barking deer, jackal, fox, palm civet, small Indian civet, jungle cat, hyena and porcupine.
Pench Tiger is also among the best area for bird watching. Over 285 species of resident and migratory birds including the Malabar pied hornbill, Indian pitta, osprey, grey headed fishing eagle, white-eyed buzzard are found here. Four species of the endangered vulture, white-rumped, long billed, white scavenger and king vulture can be seen in good numbers in these forests. In winter, thousands of migratory birds come to this reserve.
Jungle safaris are a major attraction of the park. A dawn safari, when animals are out in the open looking for food and water, is an unforgettable experience. Tigers and leopards can be seen near water bodies and even on the roads in summer. Cheetal, sambar and neelgai are found grazing in the forests and the banks of the river. Large herds of gaur are often spotted in the bamboo patches. Jackals, wild dogs and rhesus monkeys can be seen foraging for food in the densely-wooded jungles.
