Mysuru, 19 Feb

Even though Karnataka permitted limited safari activities from Thursday in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves, none took place as the government didn’t release the guidelines.

"We are yet to receive official communication from the State government on resuming the safari services," a source in the Forest Department said. 

Safari operations have been suspended since 7 November after a slew of human-wildlife conflicts last year on the forest fringes.  The closure had prompted protests from residents, including farmers and tourism workers in areas bordering Nagarahole, who said their livelihoods had been severely affected by the safari shutdown.

Under the new plan, the State had permitted safari operations to run for shorter durations and with fewer vehicles. In Bandipur, safaris were permitted to run for five hours a day, down from the previous eight, while it was reduced to six hours at Sunkadakatte and four hours at Nagarahole.

FARMERS PROTEST OPENING  

Meanwhile, farmers protested in front of Aranya Bhavan, Mysuru, and at Melukamanahalli Gate at the edge of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, urging the administration not to relaunch the safari.

The demonstrators, under the banner of the Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association led by Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj on Thursday said that the decision to restart safaris would adversely impact the farming community that lived near the edge of forest lands, as they were the most affected by human-animal conflict. They accused the government of giving into pressure from resort owners.

The protesters claimed that human-animal conflicts had reduced since the safaris were closed.

The safaris, meant for rich tourists, endanger the lives of poor people living at the edge of the forest, they said.