Quick answer: Pench is the name of two adjoining tiger reserves on the Pench river, one in Madhya Pradesh and one in Maharashtra, in the Satpura landscape of central India. It is in the news because a young tiger born in Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary was sighted in Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, on 29 October 2026, which officials see as a sign of natural dispersal.
Why Pench Tiger Reserve is in the news
A cub of tigress F2 from the Gothangaon area of Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary was seen near the Chorbahuli Gate of Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) in Nagpur district on 29 October 2026, PTI reported on 1 November. Deputy Director Akshay Gajbhiye said a possible route through Kuhi, Bhandara, Ramtek-Paoni, the Paoni buffer and across NH-44 is being considered, but stressed that it is too early to say whether the tiger will settle in Pench or is only passing through. The corridor itself still needs scientific validation.
Local reports describe the animal as a male of about three to four years, identified by matching its stripe pattern, which is unique to every tiger. Young males usually leave their mother’s range to find territory of their own.
Key facts: the two Pench Tiger Reserves
| Feature | Pench Tiger Reserve (MP) | Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) |
|---|---|---|
| Districts | Seoni and Chhindwara | Nagpur |
| Year in NTCA list | 1992-93 | 1998-99 |
| Core area | 411.33 sq km | 257.26 sq km |
| Buffer area | 768.30 sq km | 483.96 sq km |
| Total area | 1,179.63 sq km | 741.22 sq km |
| Protected areas inside | Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and Pench Mowgli Sanctuary | Forms the southern continuation of the MP reserve |
- The Pench river flows north to south, splitting the MP park into two and forming the boundary between Seoni and Chhindwara districts, as per the NTCA note.
- The Meghdoot (Totladoh) dam on the Pench has created a 72 sq km reservoir, of which 54 sq km is in Madhya Pradesh and the rest in Maharashtra.
- Forest types include southern tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests, with Boswellia patches. Chital, sambar, nilgai and gaur form the prey base for tigers, leopards and wild dogs.
- The MP reserve is linked to Kanha through the forests of Seoni, Balaghat and Mandla, and has corridor links with Satpura.
- The 2022 estimate counted 77 tigers inside Pench (MP).
Project Tiger and NTCA basics
- Project Tiger was launched in April 1973 to maintain a viable tiger population and protect areas of biological importance.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, constituted under Section 38L of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006. The Union Environment Minister is its chairperson.
- The NTCA list now shows 58 tiger reserves covering 84,487.83 sq km. The newest is Madhav (MP), notified in 2025.
- The 2022 tiger estimation gave an average of 3,682 tigers (range 3,167 to 3,925), about 75 per cent of the world’s wild tigers. Madhya Pradesh had the most (785); Maharashtra had 444.
Tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
| Tiger reserve | State | Year in NTCA list* | Total area (sq km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh | 1973-74 | 2,051.79 |
| Pench | Madhya Pradesh | 1992-93 | 1,179.63 |
| Bandhavgarh | Madhya Pradesh | 1993-94 | 1,536.93 |
| Panna | Madhya Pradesh | 1993-94 | 1,598.10 |
| Satpura | Madhya Pradesh | 1999-2000 | 2,133.31 |
| Sanjay-Dubri | Madhya Pradesh | 2011 | 1,674.50 |
| Veerangana Durgavati | Madhya Pradesh | 2023 | 2,339.12 |
| Ratapani | Madhya Pradesh | 2024 | 1,271.47 |
| Madhav | Madhya Pradesh | 2025 | 1,651.39 |
| Melghat | Maharashtra | 1973-74 | 2,768.52 |
| Tadoba-Andhari | Maharashtra | 1993-94 | 1,727.59 |
| Pench | Maharashtra | 1998-99 | 741.22 |
| Sahyadri | Maharashtra | 2012 | 1,165.57 |
| Nawegaon-Nagzira | Maharashtra | 2013 | 1,894.94 |
| Bor | Maharashtra | 2014 | 816.27 |
*Year the reserve came under Project Tiger where the NTCA gives it; otherwise the year of tiger reserve notification. MP has 9 reserves and Maharashtra 6, per the NTCA list.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Pench is a common trap in state-matching questions: the name belongs to tiger reserves in both MP and Maharashtra, so an option pairing Pench with either state can be correct.
- Statement questions on NTCA (statutory, Section 38L, chaired by the Environment Minister) are common in CDS and CAPF general studies.
- Map-based questions can ask you to match reserves with states, for example Melghat and Bor with Maharashtra, Ratapani and Madhav with MP.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh lies in which districts?
(a) Mandla and Balaghat (b) Seoni and Chhindwara (c) Betul and Hoshangabad (d) Umaria and Katni
Answer: (b) — the Pench river forms the boundary between Seoni and Chhindwara.
Q2. The National Tiger Conservation Authority was constituted under which section of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972?
(a) 38L (b) 18 (c) 33A (d) 49B
Answer: (a) — inserted by the 2006 amendment.
Q3. Which of these is NOT a tiger reserve of Maharashtra?
(a) Bor (b) Sahyadri (c) Ratapani (d) Melghat
Answer: (c) — Ratapani is in Madhya Pradesh.
Q4. The tiger recently sighted in Pench (Maharashtra) dispersed from which protected area?
(a) Tadoba-Andhari (b) Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (c) Kanha (d) Nagzira
Answer: (b) — it is a cub of tigress F2 from Gothangaon.
Frequently asked questions
Are there two Pench Tiger Reserves?
Yes. One is in Madhya Pradesh (Seoni and Chhindwara) and the other in Maharashtra (Nagpur). They adjoin each other along the Pench river and are listed separately by the NTCA.
Why is Pench Tiger Reserve in the news?
A young male tiger from Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary was sighted near Chorbahuli Gate of Pench (Maharashtra) on 29 October 2026, suggesting the forest corridor between the two areas is in use.
Which is the largest tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh by area?
According to the NTCA list, Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is the largest in MP at about 2,339 sq km.
Also read on NCA: Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CAPF coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: PTI via ThePrint, Nagpur Today, NTCA tiger reserve list, NTCA note on Pench, NTCA, Deccan Herald. Facts as reported up to 2 November 2026.
Featured image background: Nconnet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
