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Pench National Park and Sanctuary
Pench
National Park lies nestled in the lower southern reaches of the
Satpura hills, on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier a wildlife sanctuary, Pench was given the status of a
tiger reserve in the year 1992, when it was included under the
umbrella of "Project Tiger". Spread over an area of
approximately 758 sq km, the national park has been named after
the Pench River, which flows inside its premises from north to
south. The best time for visiting the park is November to March.
Landscape and Flora
The flora of the Pench Wildlife Sanctuary is basically made up
of Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest. However, one
can also find tropical dry deciduous teak trees making up its
vegetation. One can see a number of seasonal streams and nallahs
crisscrossing through the landscape of the wildlife park. The
Pench River, which is the major source of water for the rich
fauna of the Pench Tiger Reserve, usually experiences shortage
of water around the end of April and mostly, dries up during
this time.
Fauna
Tigers can be found inhabiting the area around the Pench River,
since it has a very high concentration of preys. As per an
estimate, there are around 25 tigers in the park. If you want to
see leopards, then the peripheral areas of Pench National Park
are your best bet, though they can occasionally be seen in the
deep forest too. Leopard Cats, Small Indian Civets and Palm
Civets are also not seen easily in the open. Amongst the
commonly seen wild animals at the wildlife sanctuary are Jungle
Cats, Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Jackals, Wild Dogs, Gaurs, Sloth
Bear, Chinkara, Langoors.
Kanha National Park
Kanha in Madhya Pradesh (five hours
driving from Jabalpur, six from Nagpur) has sometimes been
called the N'Gorongoro of India. The simile is apt, albeit Kanha
is far greener and its cordon of hills far more densely wooded.
Unlike Tanzania's N'Gorongoro, the Kanha valley is not a
volcanic crater, though the enclosing hills are a consequence of
geologically ancient volcanic activity. The horseshoe-shaped
Kanha valley, which accounts for nearly a third and the oldest
part of the Kanha National Park, is bound by two distant spurs
emanating from the main Mekal ridge, forming its southern rim.
The spurs, in their gently tapering traverse, nearly close in
the north leaving but a narrow opening for the meandering Sulkum
or Surpan river, the valley's main drainage. Herds of the Kanha
miscellany, the axis deer (chital), the swamp deer (barasingha),
the blackbuck (hiran), the wild pig and occasionally the gaur,
throng the central parkland of the valley, providing the basis
for the comparison with N'Gorongoro. With its confiding herds
and relatively tolerant predators, Kanha offers an almost
unrivaled scope to a keen photographer of Indian wildlife.
Pavnar
Pavnar
comes under the Wardha district and lies right on the edge of
the Dham River. It is significant from historical point of view
and is counted amongst the most prehistoric colonies in the
district. Pavnar, which lies around 65 km from Nagpur, is known
for Gandhi Kuti and the Paramdham Ashram of Vinobaji.
Khekranala
Khekranala, located amidst the Khapra range forests of
Maharashtra, is situated approximately 55 km from the heart of
Nagpur. One of the major attractions of this place comprises of
a magnificent dam, located in picturesque surroundings. The lush
greenery of Khekranala, combined with its pristine locales and
wholesome environment, draws tourists from various parts of the
state.
Ambhora
Ambhora is a very small town, situated at a distance of around
74 km Nagpur. It lies just at the threshold of Vainganga River
and serves as the venue of three fairs, held on annual basis.
The other attractions of the town consist of the famous temple
of Chaitanyesvara. Then, there is the tomb of Har Har Swami, a
Hindu Saint.
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