Farmers Demand A Relook Into Restart Of Wildlife Safaris, Conservationist Term Safaris A Tool Of Conservation

BENGALURU: Farmers from periphery of Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Mysuru and Chamarajangar staged a protest in Mysuru city on Wednesday opposing restart of jungle safaris in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves considering conducting jungle safaris a threat to farmers from tigers and other wild animals. They demanded immediate closure of jungle safaris reopened a couple of days after a 3-month ban.

The ban was imposed by Minister of Forest and Environment Eshwar Khandre on November 7 previous year after straying tigers mauled 3 villagers and seriously injured a farmer under Hediyala sub-division of Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Mysuru district.

Opposing the restart of safaris, a farmers’ leader Honnur Prakash observed “If a tiger is sighted in a safari then all vehicles turn to that particular tiger. The act not only disturbs wild animals but also makes them ferocious towards humans leading to man-animal conflicts.”

The leader questioned “What is the nexus between conducting jungle safaris and resorts (homestays) close to forest borders?”

In another observation made by him, Prakash said attacks on humans from wild animals were almost non-existent prior to conducting jungle safaris but man-animal conflicts are a result of operating jungle safaris.

However, a conservationist and president/Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) Dr Anish Andheria said “Regulated jeep safaris, when properly managed, are instruments that finance conservation infrastructure, sustain rural livelihoods and incentivize coexistence.”

Pointing at Madhya Pradesh’s 5 leading tiger reserves, Dr Anish said these tiger reserves generated approximately Rs 59 crore in park fees from vehicle-bound safaris alone. Wildlife tourism is not merely a leisure industry. In many forested districts, it is a rural economic backbone and wildlife safaris sustains guides, drivers, vehicles owners and small hospitality operators.

“Roughly half of the safari fee collected by forest departments is channeled back to villages through Eco Development Committees in buffer zones of tiger reserves,” he said.

A wildlife conservationist and Founder of Travel Operators for Tigers campaign, a conservation initiative focused on sustainable tourism and protecting wild places, Julian Matthews, referring to a scientific research in 2018, stated Ranthambore (Rajasthan) nature tourism sector created 2211 local jobs and over Rs 217 crore revenues with village communities bordering tourism enterprises and close to gate entrances generating revenues over 4 times those of communities that do not have forests.

Continuing, Julian Matthews said, ‘Tiger numbers in Ranthambore have risen from 11 in 2024 to 75 today, further proof that tourism was not an often-cited problem for man-animal conflicts. But indeed a critical tool in protected areas management.”

“Nature tourism has proven to be the vital changemaker that has ensured the tiger turnaround we are witnessing today in the country,” said the wildlife conservationist.