Forsyth's Highlands of Central India
When Mowgli roamed the jungles of Seoni, they were teeming with tigers, leopards, sloth bears, bison, and the wolf. All these were part of life at the Seoni Hills, neighboring the township. At that time in India, there was wilderness everywhere, and this is best described in the book by James Forsyth "The Central Indian Highlands". Forsyth was a British explorer and a keen hunter. None could have written better than him on Central India, albeit there is a considerable slant against the natives.
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| Tiger |
The Sad Decline
Unfortunately, commercial forestry had started, and logs were falling everywhere pan India. The forests were slowly but surely receding; such was their extent in the country. The modern hunter with guns, trained elephants, and an entourage of Indian slaves was more vicious than his counterpart in the bygone era.
The British rulers in India had declared predators as vermin, and a price was paid to the killers. In that period, around twenty-five thousand tigers were reported killed besides other predators. This was pure butchery! At that time, both the jungles and wild animals in India faced the fury of the rulers and their satraps, the princely bandwagon. This was followed by the cleansing of forests for agriculture post-independence, and wild animals came in the way. Rapid urbanization is the biggest threat ecosystems are facing in present-day India.
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| Pench Jungle |
Slow Recovery
The jungles of Seoni, and neighboring Chhindawara, like everywhere, were being denuded, and subsequently, the depletion of wildlife was taking place. However, these forests were part of the Satpura Ranges, and the hilly terrain survived somewhat. Even in the seventies before the WPAct, a license to kill a tiger was around Rs.45, and you had the blessings of the local livestock owners and the dispensation.
Small patches of forests came under the net of Project Tiger as a protected area, and the rot was stemmed. This happened quite late in 1972 whence the Wildlife Protection Act was passed, and the Project Tiger Program was initiated. WPA led to a complete ban on hunting wild animals.
As a result, Pench Tiger Reserve and National Park came into existence in the year 1977. A much-reduced ecosystem, nevertheless, the creation of PA gave hope to the critically endangered tiger. Today the park is a conservation unit, and more than fifty tigers survive in an approximate belt of 700 plus sq. km with dense cover. However, before creating the PA, the park was being run under sordid circumstances with rampant poaching and wood logging cases.
The electrocution of wild animals was a major threat that was eventually brought under control. But this threat still exists, and so do other means of killing wild animals. During my visit in the early nineties, I was witness to a carcass of electrocuted tigers and other animals; even one poacher was said to have died in the horrific incident. The sordid saga dealt with neglect, and the police apathy was evident.
Though greater effort is being made by protecting wild animals and flora, conservation initiatives with the least intervention are quite common. As a result, the wilderness is flourishing, and the big cats are breeding well. At least in the critical tiger habitat or core.
This conservation unit is home to the critically endangered Indian Wolf. Severely persecuted by humanity, it is still surviving, but there is no count or status record here. The dry deciduous tropical forests of this reserve are mixed forests with an abundance of fruiting trees, contributing to the strong recovery of animal populations in Central India. The overflow in the future would accelerate the need for a corridor between Pench and Kanha, which exists in a fragmented state at present. The Jabalpur, Nagpur highway intersects the jungles, and road accidents are being prevented by building underpasses which sets a good example for the rest of the country obsessed with linear development. Remedies like building elevated highways or underpasses and overpasses will reduce man-animal conflict by allowing safe passage to wild animals.
Under the aegis of NTCA and the State Forest Department, considerable protection is accorded to the unit. Though the major part of the forest is under Madhya Pradesh Government, the rest is under the Maharashtra State.
Tiger Tourism at Pench
Although created with conservation in focus, there is another dimension to the unit. And this is tourism which has proven to be a substantial revenue generator in the park. In addition, it contributes to National Exchequer by the inbound flow of foreign exchange through overseas visitors.
Tourism is conducted in twenty percent area of critical tiger habitat and in the outer ring called a buffer. Though a preferred activity in the core, there is substantiative movement in the buffer as well. The regulated tourism ecosystem is not only instrumental in earning revenue for the park. It is a major source of employment and small trade opportunity for people living in the periphery.
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The department employs a large number of people as guides, forest guards, and sundry laborers. The popular wildlife resorts in Pench are the key employment generators. They attract tourism from overseas as well as the domestic crowd. Luxury resorts and tour operators play a major role in marketing wild India abroad and locally. The tourism ecosystem generates business and employment. The status of locals and small-time businesses is robust thanks to the regulated tourism in the parks like Pench.
These units are effective in nature interpretation and thus generate a sense of pride by increasing awareness about our wild heritage. Experience the wild tiger safari on an open jeep in Pench. It is organized every day except Wednesday evening. The tourists have to book a permit for each safari at MPOnline Portal. Another option is to book at the gate if available. The best season to experience conservation and search for wild animals is throughout the year except for the monsoon.
Approach to Pench
From Kanha National Park by Road
By Air Jabalpur and Nagpur
Nagpur Airport is much closer at 90 km approximately.
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Uday freelances as a naturalist and loves to write about tiger conservation and the environment.
He also provides SEO and Content and teaches Digital Marketing in his hometown Jabalpur.
Contact:
pateluday90@hotmail.com
9755089323
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