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Wildlife in Pench National Park
Pench
National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the satpuda
hills is named after Pench river, meandering through the park from
north to south. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya
Pradesh, bordering Maharashtra, in the districts of Seoni and
Chhindwara.
The undulating terrain of Pench is covered with small hills and well
stocked taek and mixed forest. The main flora being Teak (Tectona
grandis) , Saja (Terminalia tomentosa), Bija (Pterocarpus marsupium),
Lendia, Haldu, Dhaora, Aonla, Amaltas etc. The ground is covered with
a number of grasses, bushes, herbs & shrubs. Dazzling white Kullu
trees scattered around singly in the forest is conspicuous among
various hues of green. The old plantations of Teak & Bamboo add
orderly vistas in the otherwise general wilderness.
The flow of Pench river stops in December, what remains are a few
scenic and serene pools in the river bed. There are a few perennial
springs and tanks. At the southern boundary of park, the Pench river
has been dammed for Pench hydroelectic project at Totladoh. At the
maximum capacity the reservoir submerges 54 sq kms of the park area.
This had been the loss of best valley forest, which was once referred
by Sir Rudyard Kipling in his book named "Jungle Book". This large
reservoir of Pench with sporadic islands attract a number of winter
birds from north.
Cheetal, SamBAR, Neelgai are commonly seen grazing on the open sites
on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in
search of food anywhere in park . Packs of wild dogs can also be seen
occasionally . Herds of Gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo
patches, more common during summer months.
Langurs are very common. Whereas Rhesus monkeys may be seen
occasionally on the fringes There are around 50 Tigers and 30 Leopards
they are a shy lot and can be seen on roads and near water pools of
river during summer months. Pench boasts of more than 210 species of
birds including several migratory ones. Commonly seen are Pea fowl,
Red jungle fowl, Crow pheasant, Crimson breasted barbet, Red vented
bulbul, Racket tailed drongo, Magpie robin, Lesser whistling teal.
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