About Pench National Park Pench National Park – it conjures up images of Mowgli, Bagheera and the “bear necessities”. Immortalised by Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book, it is still sometimes unfairly given the step-sibling treatment next to Bandhavgarh. When, in fact, the Pench river meandering through its entire stretch, along with the open hilly terrain, teak forests and jungle streams form a heart-stoppingly beautiful landscape. A landscape that supports vibrant and diverse flora and fauna. Flora & Fauna The forested area is a blend of dry deciduous forest and tropical moist deciduous forest, and is rich with beautiful shrubs trees and climbers. Teak, Mahua, Tendu, Bija, Amaltas and Palas all find their home here. While charmingly swaying bamboo grasses line the water courses and dot the valleys. Pench’s gorgeous landscape is home to a number of endangered species. Twenty-five glorious tigers share the prey animals with the leopard, wolf, jungle cat, dhol (Indian wild dog), hyena and jackal. Chital, sambhar, muntjac, gaur, wild boar, langur and rhesus macaques also roam these forests. Pench is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Three hundred fascinating and beautiful species fill the skies with their calls. Parakeets, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, minivets, orioles, wagtails and a host of majestic raptors, including the crested serpent eagle, crested hawk eagle and white-eyed buzzard. Taj Hotels in Pench National Park » Baghvan Other Local Attractions Situated at a distance of just 18 km from Pench’s Turia gate, is the tiny, spotless Pachdhar Village. Outside practically every home, potters sit at their wheels shaping glorious art from lumps of clay. Watch them work their fascinating craft, and take a piece of it home. There are also a cluster of villages around the park where you can get a glimpse of the local culture and customs of the Gond tribe