The owner of the paw prints

One long drive back to Nagpur from Tadoba and a slightly shorter drive from there into MP got us into Pench. Staying at Mowgli’s Den was a little more expensive but a lot more comfortable. Too late for the evening’s safari, we just rested. There are three gates for Pench with the Turia gate being the more popular one with about 50 jeeps, the other 2 have around 10 and 5. The number of hotels also is higher and the crowd on weekends justifies that.

A lot stricter about the guide and driver rotation than Tadoba, but Pench is a little more lax on the timings. The morning safaris last from 6.30 to 11, give or take 10 minutes while the evening ones go from 2.30 to 5.30. There is an exhibit/ mini museum near the gate which is open all the time. Routes are fixed in the morning but all five of them do overlap. The morning session also has a common stopover for breakfast. A dead gaur calf near the stopover allowed vultures to also have their meals. Elephant rides to get closer if a tiger is spotted are also a possibility.

Scenically, Pench is fantastic. The forest is among the most beautiful ones I have seen. It made Tadoba look really dull in comparison. The variations in landscapes, scenic lakes, coupled with the amount of herbivores and birdlife makes sure you have plenty to look forward to. The guides also have quite a few fixed spots as in an Indian nightjar, lots of collared scops owls, mottled wood owls and the like. Was a bit unfortunate to have missed a pair of Malabar pied hornbills, but there were plenty of other birds found in their expected spots.

The evening safari on the first day though had a bit of a twist. Hadn’t expected a tiger sighting in Pench due to the standard routes and the size of the park, but as we were leaving the park a few jeeps stopped us and told us a tigress was inside the bushes. Late in the evening with light fading quickly, we saw glimpses of the head and tail through the heavy thicket; it decided to walk off further into the bushes. We doubled back to another road and sure enough in a few minutes she walked across the road, past our jeep and into the forest. She did not have her cubs with her at that time unfortunately.

Managed to get the same guide and driver the next day as well, this time at the stopover, they told us that they had spotted a tigress with 4 cubs and were tracking it, unfortunately it did not stop so we could not see it but there were jackals near the carcass as well that day and a pair of mottled wood owls ended the trip.