Safari in Bandipur and Nagarahole to resume with fewer trips

Safari operations in Bandipur and Nagarahole will resume with reduced hours and fewer trips to enhance safety and monitoring.

Safari operations in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves, which were suspended for more than 100 days following rising tiger attacks, will resume once again.

Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said safari operations in Bandipur and Nagarhole Tiger Reserves will resume in a phased manner, after an expert committee submitted an interim report on Wednesday.

The Karnataka State Wildlife Board in January had recommended the setting up of an  expert committee to study the carrying capacity of the safari vehicles in the two tiger reserves.

An expert committee was formed which was headed by the Additional Chief Conservator of Forests comprising officers of the Forest Department, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (WII), and a professor from the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal (IIFM).

“Safari operations have been suspended in the two tiger reserves since November 7. Following the report submitted by the expert committee, we have decided to remove the ban. We will resume safari operations by reducing the number of trips. Earlier, the safari’s were operating for eight hours in a day which has been reduced to five hours,” Mr. Khandre said.

Similarly, in Sunkadakatte, safari will be allowed only for six hours and in Nagarahole it wil be allowed only for four hours in the first phase.