BENGALURU: Bengalureans will no longer have to rush to Bandipur or Nagarhole to watch a tiger on the prowl or a leopard stealthily climb a tree. They can visit the nearest national park on the city outskirts - Bannerghatta National Park (BNP).
If all goes well, the forest department will soon start safaris in BNP, to divide the footfall at the large tiger reserves like Bandipur, and Nagarhole.
Forest officials have started trials for a safari inside the fragmented forest patch spread across 106.83 sqkms, after a long gap. There was a break in the trials due to technical and political reasons. Forest staffers have carved out 14kms stretch in the forest patch for the safari. But more than the delay, foresters are concerned about the animals being shy.
“In other tiger reserves and forest patches, where safaris are a daily affair, animals are used to the noise of the vehicles, and human presence, and hence animals can be spotted easily. But in BNP, safari is being introduced for the first time, and animals run away the moment they spot a vehicle or sense humans. This happens even when we are patrolling. They need to get accustomed to the movement of vehicles and the presence of humans. We are now working on this,” said a senior BNP official.
BNP is home to two tigers, number of leopards, sloth bears, elephants and herbivores. The staffers have been able to sight sloth bears, leopards, elephants and many herbivores including Spotted Deer and Sambar Deer, during the trial period. The forest patch shares its boundary with Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on one side and Tamil Nadu on the other. It is a part of the larger Western Ghats corridor.
“BNP has the potential for a safari and is closest to Bengaluru. Those who cannot go to Bandipur or Nagarhole can visit Bannerghatta. The aim of introducing safari is to also keep a check on poaching and encroachment activities. It has been proven that where ever there is tourism, people also act as informants and this helps increase vigil. Earlier, forest trail treks were permitted in BNP, but it stopped after the staffers changed,” the official said.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Subhash Malkhade said that trials for safari are going on and if all goes well the Safari will start soon.