Pench is famous for its large numbers of Bengal tigers, which are often seen beside the Pench River, where there are the most animals for them to eat. The park is also a protected area for leopards, Indian gaur (bison), wild dogs (dholes), sloth bears, and jackals. Cheetal, sambar and nilgai eat grass in the open fields, and the unusual chinkara can sometimes be seen near villages like Turia and Telia. During summer, large groups of gaur come together by streams and in bamboo forests, and groups of as many as fifteen wild dogs are often seen by Jamtara, Pyorthadi and Bodanala. Sloth bears like the rocky areas covered in Mahul creeper, and groups of langurs and rhesus macaques add a lot of life to the forest. Pench is a true heaven for birdwatchers. More than 300 kinds of birds have been recorded here, and some come from other countries to spend the winter. Some of the best birds to see are the Indian peafowl, racket-tailed drongo, magpie robin, crimson-breasted barbet, red vented bulbul, crow pheasant, and lesser whistling teal.