MYSURU: Amid growing pressure to reopen wildlife safaris in the Nagarahole and Bandipur Tiger Reserve, a Mysuru-based advocate and member of the Save Kabini Team has issued a stern legal notice to the state government, warning that any move to resume safari operations inside the Core or Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH) will attract criminal contempt proceedings before the Supreme Court of India.
Advocate V Ravi Kumar has sent the notice to the chief secretary, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), and other senior officials, stating that reopening safaris in prohibited zones would amount to wilful disobedience of apex court directives.
A copy of the notice accessed by TNIE reveals that the state government is reportedly facing pressure from resort owners, private tourism entities and political representatives from Mysuru and HD Kote to revive safari operations that were halted recently following a series of tiger attacks and increasing human-animal conflict in the region.
Safari operations in parts of the two tiger reserves were suspended recently following multiple tiger attacks and rising human-animal conflict. Resort workers, safari drivers and local political representatives from Mysuru have been pressuring the government to reopen the safaris to protect livelihoods.
The legal notice sent by the advocate on Friday quotes the Supreme Court orders dated March 6, 2024 and November 14, 2025, which has issued binding instructions that absolutely prohibit Tiger Safari inside all Core and Critical Tiger Habitats.
The apex court has permitted safari activities only in buffer regions and that too strictly under NTCA guidelines.
The notice stated that core habitats are inviolate and any activity that disturbs tiger breeding areas, prey base or ecological integrity is unlawful.
It further states that the state government and forest department are constitutionally obligated under Articles 141, 144 and 21 to ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions, failing which officials will be liable for criminal contempt.
Ravi Kumar told that several resort owners around Kabini, Antharasanthe, N Begur and HD Kote, along with certain influential political individuals and tourism bodies, have been lobbying aggressively for the restart of safari operations inside ecologically sensitive zones.
10-year-old togress captured in Hunsur taluk
A 10-year-old tigress that had been frequently sighted in several villages under the Hanagodu Forest Range of the Hunsur division was captured in the wee hours of Friday.
Residents of Waranchi, Hale Waranchi, Hosa Waranchi, Kalehalli and Gowdanakatte in Hunsur taluk had repeatedly reported tiger sightings, prompting forest officials to conduct an immediate inspection of the affected areas. Based on these reports, officials launched an operation to capture the tiger.
With the support of the Elephant Task Force and Leopard Task Force units, forest personnel carried out the operation on Thursday midnight and the team successfully trapped an adult tigress in a maize field located in survey no 25 of Gowdanakatte village. Veterinary officials who examined the captured animal confirmed that it was a female tiger, approximately 10 years old. For its safety and health, they recommended immediate relocation to a rehabilitation centre and was shifted to Koorgalli Rehabilitation Centre. Subsequently, officials received information that four tiger cubs were present in the same area. Forest teams have now intensified operations to locate and safely capture the cubs.