Pench Tiger Reserve, Tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India
Pench Tiger Reserve is a national park in Madhya Pradesh, India, stretching along the Pench River and connecting teak forests with valleys filled by reservoir waters. The area divides into two main sections separated by the river, covering seven zones for wildlife observation.
The Indian government designated Pench as a wildlife sanctuary in 1965, later elevating it to national park status in 1975 and tiger reserve in 1992. These steps helped protect the tiger population and preserve habitat for other species.
The forests near Seoni town within the reserve provided the setting for Rudyard Kipling's characters in The Jungle Book, published in 1894. Visitors today can drive through the same landscapes that inspired Kipling's stories about Mowgli and the wolves.
The reserve remains open from October through June, offering morning and afternoon safaris across seven designated zones for wildlife observation. Visitors should bring warm clothing for early morning drives, as temperatures can be cool before sunrise.
The BBC series Tiger: Spy in the Jungle documented the lives of tiger families within Pench using cameras mounted on trained elephants. This method allowed filmmakers to capture close-up footage of tiger behavior without disturbing the animals.
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