Daijiworld Media Network – Chamarajanagar
Chamarajanagar, Oct 11: Tourists heading out on wildlife safaris in Karnataka’s tiger reserves will have to keep their mobile phones away, even when a tiger appears right in front of their jeep.
The Forest Department has imposed a complete ban on mobile phone use in the core zones of designated tiger reserves, putting an end to taking pictures, recording videos and making reels on phones during safaris.
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For wildlife enthusiasts, capturing a tiger’s majestic stare or a deer’s swift leap is often one of the most memorable parts of a forest safari. Even without an expensive camera, a mobile phone allows visitors to preserve these moments. However, the new restrictions are intended to ensure that the excitement of wildlife sightings does not come at the cost of animal safety and tranquillity.
Where has the ban been enforced?
Kumar Pushkar, Karnataka’s principal chief conservator of forests, has made the restriction mandatory with immediate effect at safaris in three prominent wildlife destinations in Chamarajanagar district: Bandipur, K Gudi in the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, and P G Palya in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mobile phone use has already been prohibited in the core zones of several major tiger reserves across the country, including Jim Corbett, Ranthambore, Tadoba, Kanha and Pench.
Tourists, drivers and guides all covered
The ban applies to everyone inside safari vehicles, including tourists, drivers and guides. None of them will be permitted to use mobile phones during the safari.
Visitors must deposit their phones in lockers or at designated counters near the entry gates before the safari begins. Tourists will therefore have to plan ahead if they wish to photograph wildlife, as mobile phones cannot be used even when animals are spotted along the route.
Are digital cameras and DSLRs allowed?
Yes. Digital cameras and DSLR cameras will continue to be permitted under the existing tourism department guidelines.
However, taking photographs, recording videos or making reels using mobile phones will be completely prohibited. Visitors who wish to capture wildlife sightings will have to rely on permitted cameras rather than their phones.
Why has the Forest Department imposed the ban?
The restrictions have been introduced in accordance with directives from the Supreme Court and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
One of the main objectives is to prevent tourists from approaching wild animals to take selfies. Mobile phone ringtones and other sounds can also disturb wildlife and interfere with animals’ natural behaviour.
Another concern is the practice of sharing the locations of wildlife sightings through mobile phones. When a tiger or another animal is spotted, visitors may immediately share its location, prompting multiple safari vehicles to converge on the same spot.
This can create traffic congestion inside the forest and cause stress to animals, disrupting their natural surroundings. The ban is intended to curb such location-sharing practices and prevent safari vehicles from crowding around wildlife sightings.
The restrictions mark a stricter approach to regulating safari activities in Karnataka’s tiger reserves. By limiting mobile phone use, the Forest Department aims to reduce disturbances, discourage unsafe tourist behaviour and protect the natural environment in which wildlife lives.
For visitors, the rule means one significant change: the thrill of spotting a tiger can still be enjoyed, but capturing the moment on a mobile phone will no longer be an option in the affected safari zones.