Pench was declared a national park in 1975, and a tiger reserve under ‘Project Tiger’ in 1992. The sun-dappled forests, lakes and Pench River support a rich density of prey species for carnivores that include an estimated 65 tigers (2020). Among them is the frequently seen T15 ‘Collarwali’, born in 2005 to BadiMada and fathered by Charger, all of whom featured in the BBC’s Spy in the Jungle documentary series. Collarwali has given birth to 29 cubs, the highest number recorded in the wild.