Mogliland

Remember Mowgli, the pint-sized 'Man-Child' or Bagheera, the Black Panther? And who can forget the inimitable Sher Khan, the villain of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.
Kipling was inspired to write his memorable book by the luxuriant forest cover of Pench teeming with an astonishing variety of wildlife.

Topography
The terrain of the park is undulating with mainly gentle slopes criss-crossed by streams and nullahs. Most of these water courses are seasonal. Many of the hills are flat-topped and allow fine vistas of the forests around. The best known of these is 'Kalapahar' with an altitude of 650 mts. The Pench river flowing through the centre of the Reserve is dry by April but a number of water pools locally known as 'dohs' are found, which serve as waterholes for wild animals. A few perennial springs also exist.


Conservation History
In the year 1977 an area of 449.39 sq km was declared Pench Sanctuary. Out of this, an area of 292.85 sq km was declared Pench National Park in the year 1983 and 118.31 sq km remained as Pench Sanctuary. In 1992 Government of India declared 757.89 sq km area including the National Park and the sanctuary as the 19th Tiger Reserve of the country. The name of Pench National Park was changed to "Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park" in November 2002 Similarly the name of Pench Sanctuary has been changed to "Mowgli Pench Sanctuary".

The Pench hydroelectric dam straddles the Maharashtra - Madhya Pradesh boundary. The dam, constructed between 1973 and 1988 has resulted in the submergence of about 74 sq km area out of which 54 km is in the Park, the rest being in Maharashtra.

Forests and Wildlife
Over 1200 species of plants have been recorded from the area including several rare and endangered plants as well as plants of ethno-botanical importance.

The area has always been rich in wildlife. It is dominated by fairly open canopy, mixed forests with considerable shrub cover and open grassy patches. The high habitat heterogeneity favours high population of Chital and Sambar. Pench tiger reserve has highest density of herbivores in India (90.3 animals per sq km).

Via: Seoni (60km), Jabalpur (195km), Nagpur (92km), Chhindwara ( 120 km).

Best Season
The best time to visit the park is between February to June, although the cool season is much more comfortable and still very good for wildlife. The park is closed from July 1 to October 15 because of the monsoon. For those planning a visit, a stay of at least three nights is recommended in order to have a good chance of seeing the more elusive animals - although, of course, a brief visit will also be very interesting.


Park Attractions

Jungle Safari
The major attraction of the Park is the jungle safari. In a Jeep drive round the park one can see a variety of animals and birds, especially large herds of chital numbering over a thousand. The varied topography and ever-changing vegetation provides an unforgettable experience for the visitor.

Elephant Rides
The Park has elephants that are used to track and show tigers to the tourists. An elephant ride into the forests is an enchanting experience.

Boating
The large Pench reservoir within the Park with its numerous islands provides a magical setting for boating. Motorboats, paddleboats and rowboats are available for the tourists.

River Rafting
Rafting can be done in the Pench river outside the Park between 1st September and 15th October. The forested banks of the river along with rocky stretches of the river locally called kassa make for an adventurous, memorable experience.