PENCH
TIGER RESERVE - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Pench Tiger Reserve
becomes country’s first Dark Sky Park
What's
in the news?
●
As per the latest development, those
visiting Pench Tiger Reserve will have the chance to witness celestial wonders
unfold in the starry nights, as it has recently been marked the country’s first
Dark Sky Park (DSP), and the fifth such park in Asia.
Dark
Sky Park:
●
It refers to an area surrounding a park or
observatory that restricts artificial light pollution.
●
The concept of the dark sky movement was
conceived to promote astronomy.
●
The International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN), recognising the inherent value of a night sky as a natural,
cultural and historical resource, emphasised the importance of preserving
natural darkness for nature conservation, ecological integrity in protected
areas, and the well-being of communities in cities.
Pench
Tiger Reserve:
●
The Reserve is located in the southern
reaches of the Satpura hills in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh and continues in Nagpur
district in Maharashtra as a
separate Sanctuary.
●
It is named after the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the Reserve.
Comprises
of:
●
It comprises the Indira Priyadarshini
Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary and a buffer.
Uniqueness:
●
The area of the Pench Tiger Reserve and
the surrounding area is the real story area of Rudyard Kipling's famous "The Jungle Book".
Terrain:
●
It is undulating, with most of the area
covered by small hills and steep slopes on the sides.
Vegetation:
●
The undulating topography supports a
mosaic of vegetation ranging from a moist sheltered valley to an open, dry deciduous forest.
Flora:
●
The reserve boasts a diverse range of
flora, including teak, saag, mahua
and various grasses and shrubs.
Fauna:
●
The area is especially famous for large
herds of Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Gaur
(Indian Bison) and wild boar.
●
The key predator is the tiger, followed by leopard, wild dogs and wolf.
●
There are over 325 species of resident and
migratory birds, including the Malabar
Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, White Eyed
Buzzard etc.,