Authorities in the Pench landscape have announced the early closure of core tourism zones in Pench National Park, along with the core areas of Bor Wildlife Sanctuary and Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, due to the possibility of an early monsoon this year. The core safari zones will remain closed for visitors from June 15 to September 30, nearly two weeks before the usual seasonal shutdown.
On May 19, Pench Field Director S. Ramesh Kumar informed the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which manages online safari reservations, to stop accepting bookings for all core zones during the closure period. Visitors who have already booked safaris between June 15 and June 30 will receive full refunds according to the official directive.
Normally, tiger reserve core areas across India remain closed from July 1 onward following guidelines set by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). However, forest officials in the Pench region have decided to begin the closure earlier this year because of expected heavy rainfall and difficult forest conditions.
Officials also said they will release a separate update regarding tourism activities in the buffer zones later. The annual monsoon closure helps protect wildlife during the breeding season and allows damaged forest routes and habitats to recover naturally while ensuring visitor safety during heavy rains.
