SHIVAMOGGA/BENGALURU: Forests in Karnataka are under rising threat, not just from poachers and encroachers, but also from unregulated tourism activities. More so from tourists seeking instant social media fame.
In yet another incident, two private jeeps were seen racing through a water body inside Bhadra Tiger Reserve. Forest staffers got into action only when the video surfaced on social media sites on Sunday evening.
Local residents said that the incident in the Hebbe Range of Bhadra reserve occurred over a week ago. But foresters filed a complaint of trespassing under the Wildlife Protection Act on Monday morning.
Conservationists and ground-level forest staffers told The New Indian Express, “The jeeps have gone into the core area of the forest which is prohibited for all. They have strayed nearly 20-25 km from the area restricted to tourists.”
‘Staffers struggling to regulate tourist entry’
“They don’t look like local residents. They probably were staying in one of the resorts on the forest fringes,” said conservationists and groundlevel forest staffers. This is the third incident in the last two to three months. Earlier, another safari jeep was seen close to a waterfall in Thanigebyle range of Bhadra.
Also a couple was found canoodling on the hilltop with the waterfall as the backdrop. “The department is acting only when these incidents come to light on social media. They cannot occur without the involvement of some staffers. There needs to be a thorough check , ” said a conservationist.
Bhadra Tiger Reserve Director S Prabhakaran said, “We normally give permission to locals to enter the forest to be part of Byraveshwara temple jatre. These people might have entered on the same pretext, telling the department staff that they know the route. But they deviated and went towards the stream. It is being investigated. Our staffers are struggling hard to regulate the entry of tourists into forests”.