Mysuru, 22 Feb 

Safari operations resumed on Sunday at Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve after a suspension of more than 100 days due to rising incidents of tiger attacks and concerns over man-animal conflict.

The first safari at Bandipur commenced at 2.30pm, shortly after forest authorities received official clearance from the state government to re-launch services. Officials reported a noticeable rise in tourist enquiries following the announcement earlier this week.

Under revised guidelines, safari hours have been curtailed. Bandipur’s duration has been reduced from eight hours to five, while Nagarahole safari will operate for four hours. In the initial phase, only 50 per cent of safari vehicles will be deployed.

The remaining vehicles and staff have been assigned to patrol forest fringes to prevent wild animals from straying into nearby villages.

Authorities also confirmed that all safari vehicles will be fitted with GPS tracking systems and dashboard cameras within two months to ensure strict adherence to permitted timings.

Last year, Nagarahole attracted 1.8 lakh visitors and generated ₹11.5 crore in revenue, but incurred losses of nearly ₹4.5 crore during the suspension period.