The Legend of Mowgli
In 1831, Lieut John Moor a British officer camped in the village of Sant Vavadi in the Jungles of Seoni – now Pench Tiger Reserve. He was able to capture the wolf child. Sir Rudyard Kipling wrote “The Jungle Book” in 1894, based on William Sleeman’s book, the Rambles and Recollections; in which Sleeman narrated the story of the Wolf Child. Sleeman served in Jabalpur in the state Madhya Pradesh (Central India) from 1825 to 1831. Kipling visited Seoni and learned about the region. The jungles of Seoni are as enchanting as Kipling portrayed them. In Kipling country, jungles, rivers, villages, natives, animals are all there for the visitor to experience, just as he mentioned in his book.
Sher Khan rules the jungles of Seoni ever since evolution positioned him at the top of the food chain. Along with Sher Khan live the wolf pack, leopard, bear, bison, deer, wild dog and reptiles, birds and numerous other forms of animals. Of course Mowgli is no more but than who knows, someday he may be discovered again among the wolf pack or seen roaming with Baloo or Baghira.
This is what makes tiger reserves like Pench so full of excitement and thrill! One never knows what lies in store during the tiger safari!