BENGALURU: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has directed all tiger reserves (TR) to strictly adhere to its 2012 guidelines, according to which they are not to allow vehicles to crowd around tigers and maintain a distance of 500m between vehicles. The advisory comes in the wake of violations at reserves across the country.
As per NTCA statistics, the 10 most-visited tiger reserves receive nearly two lakh visitors per year on an average. Further, social media has been replete with images of a trail of jeeps/other vehicles at one given spot where a tiger has been sighted. However, with people taking pictures and videos, and making loud noises inside forest, tigers are being disturbed.
According to Anup Nayak, member secretary, NTCA, the tourist carrying capacity at tiger reserves has been calculated at maximum number of vehicles permitted at a given time. As per Normative Standards of Tourism Activities and Project Tiger guidelines issued in 2012, it is based on the average tourist footfall and carrying capacity for a reserve. Also, the capacity is determined with the presumption that the gap between two vehicles is 500m. However, in view of continuing violations, all tiger range states have been asked to implement the rules for the benefit of both animals and tourists.
In Karnataka, two of five tiger reserves – Bandipur and Nagarhole — which see the highest tourist fall, have seen many violations. In the process, young and breeding tigresses have been disturbed. Out of the five TRs, Bhadra, Kali and BRT have not faced such problems. However, Bandipur and Nagarhole see a large number of tourists from Bengaluru and Kerala, driving their own vehicles, especially during the weekends.
Usually, jeep safaris organised by authorities last up to three hours. "We see the maximum number of tourists between October and June. Most tourists have no concept or idea of how to behave inside the TR. Since they have paid money for the safari, they clamour to see tigers at any cost. They make a lot of noise without showing any concern for wildlife. If a tiger is sighted in one section of the reserve, then it becomes difficult to manage, as everybody would like to see it at the same time. This is the time when the distance between vehicles is not maintained, violating the rulebook," said a forest official.
Wildlife activists added that violations increase during the holiday season and festivals. “The NTCA guidelines have been in existence since 2012, but have not been implemented in toto. People with influence and VIPs get away with all kinds of violations. Many vehicles monopolize wildlife sightings for more than 15 minutes,” they said.
Chikkamagaluru Wildlife Warden G Veeresh said, “Unless there is an advance online booking system for all TRs followed by GPS in all vehicles and punishment for violators, the NTCA guidelines will just remain on paper."