Pench: A tiger safari with a difference

One can totally relate to the American-Canadian writer-journalist, John Vaillant, when he says, “The tiger will see you a hundred times before you see him once.”

The singular dedication to spotting the majestic stripes (read tigers) in all their glory in the wild has often felt special. For, that tiger or tigress must have chosen to appear. Far more times, that feeling of being watched but not being able to watch has left the heart broken enough not to tread that path again. Still, somehow the thrill of scouring the jungle paths in the search of a tiger has always overpowered that.

Hence, the reaction to that board at Pench Jungle Camp, listing daily triumphs of the guests’ safaris via-a-vis the number of tigers spotted, was a mix of envy and heightened expectation. The true, yet seemingly boastful writings of some having spotted the famous tigress Collarwali’s lineage, some having seen a few cubs in jovial mood and surroundings, and some having spotted one even before entering the core zone, sounded cautious alerts in the mind. Too good to be true? What if one turns out to be the exception!

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“Do not worry, Pench does not disappoint,” said Yash Rajput, general manager, Pench Jungle Camp. Located hardly a kilometre away from the Turia gate of the tiger reserve, in Madhya Pradesh, the Camp’s rustic existence and character heightened during the bonfire at night. The untouched naturally wild landscape just added to it. So did the stories of some having effortlessly spotted leopards and many other types of wildlife in and around its 50 acres.

Kipling’s muse

The following dawn, the walk from the luxury safari tent till the reception, was, hence, bereft of calmness and full of alert eyes looking here and there for a wishful rendezvous with a certain cat. Sensing a city group’s high hopes, the guide and the naturalist were quick enough to deviate. “Pench is unlike any other park in the country. There is so much more to it than tigers,” they said. “Really?” my tiger-loving self wondered.

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The first rays of the sun welcomed us as we entered the park from the Turia gate, one of the best for tiger spotting in the park.

Pench is the only national park in India which occupies the area of two states, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The larger part of the park is in Madhya Pradesh, which accounts for the largest tiger population for any state at 785. If the tiger number in Pench for both Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is combined it is impressive at 125.

With all the eyes looking here and there for the signs of a tiger, a pack of wild dogs were seen enjoying the morning at the side of the path. An equally comfortable herd of sambar deer meant the big cats were not on the prowl. But just when the heart was starting to lose hope, New Baghin Allah tigress was found standing amid the trees close by, but being a shy one she quickly retreated into the denser part of the jungle.

The next one, a young male, was spotted afar on the side of a rock. It was then that the eyes actually realised the beauty of the park, its undulating landscape softly rolling over the Satpura hills, and the water bodies both adorable and austere due to the presence of dead trees. It is no wonder that Rudyard Kipling set The Jungle Book here at Pench!

The attitude has it

What came next was all about the antics, nonchalance, and sheer aura of a tiger, courtesy Patdev’s son. His mother, Patdev, is the daughter of the tigress Collarwali, who is famous for having given birth to the highest number of cubs in a lifetime - 29. What Machli was to Ranthambore, Collarwali was to Pench. She was the first tigress in the park to be fitted with a radio collar to help in a study, and, hence, the name. Friendly, and often choosing to come quite close to the tourist vehicles, made her the face of the park and a huge reason behind increased visitors and the local economy.

Meanwhile, Patdev’s litter has now grown up, the males particularly looking quite imposing, as we were told and saw. Her son was relaxing in the open, giving us side looks, yawning at perhaps our boring presence, and then graced us with that one straight look before bidding adieu. We spotted another one quite far away amid the foliage next, then one cooling off in the water, and then a little one roaming around at a distance.

The meal, thereafter, arranged by Pench Jungle Camp at the breakfast point in the park was almost a celebratory feast in the jungle.

Though when it comes to tiger population and sightings Pench still might not be able to compete with the likes of Corbett, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh and Kanha, but it definitely offers a more peaceful and secluded experience.

It sometimes felt as though we had the whole park to ourselves – no rushing, dust-blowing vehicles, no overbearing chatter, and no surprised shrieks. Just a complete understanding between the humans and the surroundings. What a bliss!

Tips:

Best time to visit: Winter (November to February). The weather is pleasant for sightings and nature walks. Many animals could be seen basking in the sun.

How many safaris to do: All good naturalists recommend at least two, one in the morning and one in the evening. For Pench, one could also explore the Maharashtra side, which has different flora and fauna.

When and how to book: Either book well in advance (30-60 days) from the government site (forest.mponline.gov.in), to get your preferred gate, or ask the resort management to arrange.

Box suggestion:

Pench became a national park in 1975, and a tiger reserve in 1992. It is also the country’s first Dark Sky Park, and the fifth one in Asia. A Dark Sky Park is an area surrounding a park or observatory that restricts artificial light pollution to facilitate stargazing and astronomy.

Garima Verma is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.