SC Verdict On Lifting Ban Likely To Attract More Tiger Tourists During Festive Season

Jaipur: It could not have been better than this. With festive season around, it was a gift of sorts for many a tourist in the state as the Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted the ban on tiger tourism in reserves across the country. The court has now allowed tourism in 20% of the core area of tiger reserves.

Rajasthan was the worst hit after the ban was imposed on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. The two reserves in the state -- Ranthambhore National Park and the Sariska National Park -- normally open for tourists from October 1. However, due to the ban this year, the parks had to remain closed, turning away many as the tourist zones in these parks lie mostly in core areas. Now, both will open on Wednesday.

Jaipur: With the Sariska tiger translocation project bearing fruit in the form of two cubs, the stage is set for Sariska to get three more tigers. In fact, the second phase of the translocation will see the forest department trying to introduce fresh blood into the 866 sq km forest.

“Plans have been finalized for the shifting of three big cats to Sariska. One of the tigress will be from Ranthambore and two more (one male and one female) will be relocated from outside the state. It could either be from Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra and we are talking to both the states,” says V S Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forest, government of Rajasthan.

JAIPUR: The recommendation of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to increase safety zones (eco-sensitive zones) around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks from 100 meters to 2 km from the park's boundary has not come as a shock. Given the current scenario, this would not make any difference.

The note, prepared by CEC member secretary M K Jiwrajka, and submitted to the SC, has categorized Protected Areas (PAs) in four groups and the safety zone to be notified thereon. It suggests that parks above 500 sq km will be under Category-A and its safety zone will be 2 km from boundary. Similarly, for Category-B (between 200 sq km & 500 sq km) the safety zone may be 1km from boundary.

Parks Were To Be Opened On Mon, Forest Dept Move Comes In View Of SC Postponing Decision

Jaipur: Tourism in the Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves will have to wait a while longer. The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed to October 3 its decision on the ban on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. Consequently, the state forest department also notified on its official website for tiger safari reservation that the park, which was supposed to open on October 1, will remain closed till October 3.

JAIPUR: As the Ranthambore National Park (RNP) gears up to open in two days time, the impasse over the Supreme Court verdict has forced tour operators to keep alternate arrangements in place.

JAIPUR: Officials, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists are waiting with bated breath for Thursday's Supreme Court verdict on tourism in the core of areas of wildlife sanctuaries. With just three days to go for the Ranthambore and Sariska national parks to re-open (October 1), this would chart the way for the two thriving tiger reserves in the state.

The Centre on Wednesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court requesting that the ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves be lifted. In the affidavit, the Centre has outlined the revised guidelines to protect the tiger population and requested the court to permit tourism activities in 20% of the core tiger habitat.

1,706 tigers today, up from 1,411 in 2007

Should the approximately 1,700 tigers left in India be treated as sacrosanct, not to be exploited by India’s tourism industry? Or, should they be looked at as valuable commodities, responsible for filling the coffers of the state? This is the firestorm of a debate that Ajay Dubey sparked off, when he, through a public interest litigation filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in September 2010, asked that tourism be banned in ‘core’ tiger areas — zones where tiger density is particularly high — in line with the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and its 2006 amendment.

Jaipur: Conservation with people's participation seems to be the salient feature of the eco-tourism guidelines released by the state government on Thursday. From seeking their help in the actual implementation of the guidelines to involving them with conservation work, the guidelines have paved way for community participation in a variety of ways.

As a first step, the guidelines seek the involvement of honourary wildlife wardens wildlife experts, NGOs and other independent stakeholders for assisting the Tiger Conservation Foundation and the forest department for the implementation of these guidelines in tiger reserves.

Jaipur: A day after the Supreme Court invited suggestions and objections for framing guidelines for conservation of tigers, Rajasthan on Thursday came up with its own guidelines, the first state to do so.

The guidelines, to be submitted to the court as an affidavit by Friday, seeks to promote tourism but disperses it over a wider area than just confine to the national park only. It also seeks to promote eco-tourism in lesser known areas, non-forest areas and even on private lands adjoining tiger reserves by developing them into alternative wildlife land use options. Currently tourism in the state has been confined to areas of government ownership and is managed solely by the forest department.

When I first started my life with tigers 37 years ago it was as a tourist.