If all goes as planned, a safari will be introduced at two more places in the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
Preliminary work, including establishing counters, have commenced, and the two new safari points are likely to be ready by the coming winter, in November or December.
While one of the safari points is being established at Tithimathi in Kodagu district on the Hunsur-Gonikoppa route, the other will be in the Anechokur range at Muthur village in Periyapatana taluk of Mysuru district.
Nagarahole already has safari points at Veeranahosahalli at the entry point to the tiger reserve, at Nanachhi Gate and Damanakatte in Kakanakote forest leading to the Kabini backwaters. The addition of two facilities will take the total number of safari points to five, the highest for a tiger reserve in Karnataka.
Environmentalists fear influx of tourists will disturb calm areas
The move has irked wildlife and conservation activists as they fear the influx of tourists will cause disturbances in the hitherto calm areas.
An environmental activist, who did not wish to be quoted, said: “Consequent to the opening of two new safari points, authorities should shut down the safari points at Veeranahosahalli and Nanachhi Gate. The tourism zone cannot exceed 20% of the total tiger reserve forest area as per the NTCA guidelines.”
Officials say this safari is different
Officials in the Forest Department said that unlike the existing three safari routes that are wildlife-centric, the new routes will be confined to the buffer zone and will not touch the core zone.
‘’This is buffer zone tourism. We are not looking at a safari that is tiger or elephant-centric, but want the public to get a feel of the forest topography,” said a senior official at Nagarahole.
The new facility has been approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which had given the go-ahead when the tiger conservation plan was revised about nine years ago. But the concept could not be implemented as the buffer zone was not under the unified administration of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve till August 2019, the official added.
Besides, the project was on hold pending clearance and approval of the Chief Wildlife Warden, which has come through.
The NTCA has proposed tourism in the buffer zone to reduce pressure on the core area, or in reserves and in places where the tourist footfall has exceeded the carrying capacity of the notified tiger reserve.
