Bori-Satpura – A chance to see diverse fauna

The Bori and Satpura landscape along with the Pachmarhi Sanctuary make up one of the most interesting Tiger Reserves in Central India. One of the ideas that propagated with Saptura opening to tourism a decade ago was to explore the lesser-known parks of Central India. Here the tourism was refreshingly different and apart from jeeps guests could explore the forest on foot, by a canoe, at night and even camp out in the bush and search for a variety of wildlife beyond the tigers. Now with our new avatar in Jehan Numa Wilderness and with the opening of Bori Safari Lodge, this philosophy of developing lesser-known areas into eco-tourism hotspots has continued. Tourism in the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is completely new affording guests a great deal of exclusivity, and spending enough time in the Bori-Satpura landscape between our two lodges provides guests with a rare opportunity to explore in various ways and see an unmatched diversity of iconic mammals including sloth bear, leopard, wild dog, giant squirrel, gaur and even the tiger; the ‘’super six’’ as we like to call them.

Hidden in plain sight, one of the rarest fossils in the world may have been discovered at the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is located not more than 40 KM away from Bhopal en-route to Satpura. Scientists believe that they have found the first ever fossil in India of a Dickinsonia – believed to be Earth’s oldest animal dating back as long as 570 million years. Bhimbetka is already known for its array of rock art dating back several millennia and this perceived discovery could add another feather to the cap of this must visit site. Guests staying at JN - Palace or JN - Retreat can book guided half day visits, or those traveling to Satpura from Bhopal can make a midway stop to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Madhai region in Satpura National Park, where Reni Pani is located, was traditionally a strong hold for sloth bears. In the last two seasons, as a result of some notorious activity by certain male tigers the population faced a decline because of conflict. We are happy to say that this season there has been a good recovery, and we are now again seeing bears like we used to see earlier. In particular a mother with her cub has been seen quite regularly and has become quite a poser for the visitors. With the return of the bears, once again Madhai seems like the familiar place it used to be over the last decade.

 

Churna in adjoining and contiguous Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, is fast becoming a great place to see a diverse array of wildlife, especially the large carnivores. With a highest density of tigers in the Bori-Satpura landscape, Churna is your best chance to encounter a rare and exclusive tiger sighting in the Saptura Tiger Reserve. There are a few individuals more than others who are seen regularly and our team has come to know them quite well. In the Churna region, there are three female tigers that we see often, two of them have cubs, and another is on her own now. There is also a resident male who often patrols the area. Guests who visit us at Bori Safari Lodge will have great chances of seeing these tigers on their visit.

In its own way, the COVID-19 pandemic has had its effect on the whole world. Some have been directly affected and others have had to make complete changes to their lifestyles. Businesses too have had to reinvent their operations and the new normal seems like it has been the normal forever. The very nature of our lodges however, make us a preferred destination in such times. Certain facets like small key facilities, residential staff, remote locations (that are COVID-19 free till date), Large campus size and focus on outdoor exploration make our lodges inherently low risk environments for this pandemic. Having said that, we leave no stone unturned and are ensuring that when we reopen our lodges are a safe environment for your holiday. You can be rest assured that hygiene and safety of our guests, staff and communities is our top priority. Here are some measures we have taken to ensure a cleaner and safer experience for our guests.