With the onset of the monsoon season, the Forest Department has announced that jungle safaris will be closed to tourists starting July 1. As a result, tourists will now have to wait until the end of the monsoon to enjoy jungle safaris again. During the monsoon, vehicles often get stuck in the forest terrain. Additionally, since this is the breeding season for wildlife, the department has decided to suspend safari operations to avoid disturbing animal movements. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), New Delhi, has issued guidelines to the Forest Department regarding jungle safaris in tiger reserve areas. In accordance with these guidelines, safari services in the core areas of the Pench Tiger Reserve, Bor Tiger Reserve, and Umred-Pauni-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary will be closed from July 1 until further notice. This information was shared by Dr. Kishor Mankar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Pench Tiger Reserve.
Limited Safari Access from Pauni and Surewani Gates
Although jungle safaris in Pench, Bor, and Umred-Pauni-Karhandla have been suspended for the monsoon, the Forest Department has made limited safari access available in the buffer zones of the Pench Tiger Reserve. Tourists can enjoy nature through offline bookings from the Pauni (Unified Control) Tourism Gate and Surewani Tourism Gate.
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Tadoba Core Closed, Buffer Safaris to Continue
The core area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve will also be closed from July 1 due to the monsoon. This is a routine annual decision by the management of the reserve. However, the buffer zones surrounding the core area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve will remain open to tourists for safari experiences.