With the monsoon expected to arrive earlier than usual, authorities at Pench Tiger Reserve have decided to shut the core tourism zones of Pench, Bor, and Umred-Karhandla-Paoni wildlife sanctuaries from June 15 to September 30, nearly two weeks ahead of the regular closure schedule.
In a communication issued on May 19 to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which handles official jungle safari bookings, Pench Field Director S. Ramesh Kumar instructed technical officials to suspend safari bookings for all core areas during the closure period.
Tourists who had already made advance safari bookings between June 15 and June 30 will also receive refunds, as per the order.
Usually, core areas of tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries remain closed from July 1 to September 30 under guidelines issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). However, forest officials in the Pench landscape appear to have opted for an earlier closure this year, likely due to the anticipated early rains and related logistical challenges.
Officials added that a separate announcement regarding tourism activities in the buffer zones will be issued later.
The seasonal monsoon closure is a standard conservation practice followed across tiger reserves. Heavy rainfall often makes forest tracks slippery and inaccessible, creating safety concerns for visitors. The period is also considered important for wildlife breeding, and limiting tourist movement helps reduce disturbance to animals while allowing damaged forest roads and habitats time to recover naturally.
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