Safari Zone in Pench National Park

Pench National Park is among the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, which thrived by a large number of tourists from all over the country. The visit to the national park is incomplete without the jungle safari in Pench.

There are seven safari zones in Pench National where tourists can visit for the sightings of birds and animals in their natural habitat. There is a total of 11 gates to the national park among which five gates are situated in Madhya Pradesh and six are located in Maharashtra.

Some of the Pench National Park zones fall under Madhya Pradesh including Karmajhiri Zone, Jamtara Zone, Turia Zone, Wolf Sanctuary zone, Teliya Zone, Rukhad Zone. And rest of them are situated in Maharashtra such as Pench National Park zones, Sillari Zone and Khursapar Zone. Here is the detailed information about safari zones in Pench National Park.

Wildlife Safari Zones in Pench National Park

The safari zones are divided into two zones: core and buffer zone in Pench National. The core zone is the place in the national park where there is no human interference allowed and wildlife species can live in their natural habitat. However, in the buffer zone, human activities including ecotourism, recreation, sustainable agriculture, and forestry are allowed that are prohibited in the core zone.

Core Zone: Turia Zone, Karmajheri Zone, and Jamtara Zone.
Buffer Zone: Wolf Sanctuary, Rukhad Zone, and Teliya Zone

Timings of Safari in Pench National Park

Pench National Park open from 1st October to 30th June for Jungle Safari every year. The safari timings of the national park vary from summer to winter season. The night safari timings are 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, which remains the same in the summer and winter seasons. Here are the jungle safari timings:

Note: Afternoon Shift remains closed on Wednesdays.

Different Zones of Pench National Park

Core Zones of Pench National Park

There are three core zones of Pench where you can enjoy jungle safari and enjoy wildlife experiences. The serene landscape and sound of the wild will offer a unique experience. Take a look at the popular safari zones in Pench National Park:

Turia Zone

This is one of the most popular safari zones of Pench. Turia Zone is easily accessible by Turia Gate, which is located near NH 7 at the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Dotted with mixed vegetation, scrublands, small streams, and Acacia Catechu, Turia Zone is home to Patdev Tigress. Junewani waterhole and Baginnalla waterhole are among the major attractions of Turia Zone in Pench. This area is also known for leopard sighting, jackals, chitals, and beautiful birds. This area is known for the legendary Collarwali Tigeress for which this zone is popular and people from all over the world visit Pench to see glimpses of her.

Karmajhiri Zone

Most of the region of Karmajhiri Zone is covered with bamboo plantations and Teak trees. It is known for Gaur and Sambar sightings. If you will be lucky, then you can also spot barking deers during jungle safari. You can also spot varied species of birds near the Pench River. During the summer season, you may also spot tigers near the water pool resting. Besides this, Karmajhiri Zone is also known for wild dogs.

Jamtara Zone

The entry gate of this zone is located in Jamtara Village in the Chindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. This zone is popular for Sloth Bear sightings. In Jamtara Zone, you can enjoy a jeep safari for 3 to 4 hours. The lovely expanse of this zone comprises Banyan Trees and Shindoori. This is another popular safari zone in Pench National Park, which is situated 75 km from Turia Gate. This zone offers a limited area to explore and tourists can cross over to other zones from Chendia ghat when the river is dry and reaching the breakfast point of Alikatta. The road toward Tikari and the nearby areas are less explored.

Buffer Zone of Pench National Park

Wolf Sanctuary

Also known as Khawasa Buffer Zone, Wolf Sanctuary is famous for wolf sightings and its rocky terrain. This is also one of the best places for a night safari in Pench National Park. Wolf Sanctuary is mostly an open wooded forest, which is home to wolves, foxes, porcupines, and owls. During night safari, these animals can be spotted easily. This buffer zone of Pench is accessible by Turia Gate.

Rukhad Zone

This is the hilly region of Pench National Park and most of the zone remains moist due to its vegetation. Rukhad Zone is easily accessible from Karmajhiri Gate. Dotted with flowing streams, Bamboo, Jamun, and Arjun Trees, Rukhad Zone is known for tiger sightings. There are few tigresses in the area, which you can spot during the safari. Also, night safari tours are arranged in this zone. Cycling is one of the best things to do in the Rukhad Zone of Pench where you can see gaurs, tigers, leopards, and bears.

Teliya Zone

This is a new buffer zone, which is famous for its significant population of Black Panther and Leopard. Teliya buffer zone offers frequent sightings of Leopard, Black Panther, Barking Deer, Chowsingha, and Blue Bull Antelope. Situated at just 4 km from Turiya Gate and 11 km from Khawasa buffer gate, Teliya Zone is situated near Wolf Sanctuary and accessible by Teliya Village. The jungle safari here also covers water holes in the region.