Entry Fee Increases: The three gates (Jamatra, Karmajhiri, and Duria) of the core area of Pench Tiger Reserve will reopen from 1 October. After a three-month closure, tourists will once again be able to enjoy safaris and spot tigers. However, this time they will have to pay 10% more for entry and guide fees. The government has increased the entry and guide fees at Pench Tiger Reserve after three years. The fees were last increased in 2021.
Pench Tiger Reserve's core area remains closed to tourists from 1 July to 30 September during the monsoon season. During this period, maintenance and conservation work is carried out on the reserve's roads. However, tourists are permitted to visit the buffer zone. Animal activity is lower in the buffer zone compared to the core zone, where it is significantly higher. Consequently, domestic and international tourists eagerly await the reopening of the core zone gates.
Pench Tiger Reserve is one of the country's premier tiger habitats. Located in central India, it is Madhya Pradesh's largest national park. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including tigers, Indian leopards, bears, and swamp deer. Rudyard Kipling's famous novel, *The Jungle Book*, is believed to be based on the forests of Pench Tiger Reserve. (mp news)
The state government has increased the entry fee at Pench Tiger Reserve by ten per cent. The core area entry fee, previously ₹2400, will be ₹2640 for Indian tourists from 1 October. Foreign tourists will have to pay ₹5280 instead of ₹4800. Additionally, the guide fee has been increased from ₹480 to ₹800.
Every national park has core and buffer zones. These are areas where sufficient water and food are available to support the wildlife's habitat and lifestyle. The highest density of forest cover is also found in these areas. The central area of any national park is called the core area. The area between the core area and the nearby rural areas is called the buffer zone. The forest cover and density are lower in the buffer zone compared to the core area.
From 1 October, all three gates of the core area of Pench Tiger Reserve will reopen. Tourists will be able to enjoy safaris. The government has increased the entry fee by ten per cent. - Rajnish Singh, Deputy Director, Pench Tiger Reserve
