Safari resumes in Vidarbha forests after three-month monsoon closure; 564 tourists visit Tadoba
Core zones of Vidarbha's tiger reserves and sanctuaries reopened on Thursday, with 564 tourists entering Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve on the first day.
Nagpur: The forests of Vidarbha reopened to wildlife enthusiasts on Thursday after the three-month monsoon closure ended. On the first day of the new safari season, hundreds of tourists visited the region's tiger reserves and sanctuaries.
The biggest crowds were at the core zone of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), whose reopening had been eagerly awaited. A total of 564 tourists entered the forest in 100 safari vehicles. Four of them were foreign tourists.
TATR is one of Maharashtra's best-known tiger habitats. Its core area is closed every year during the monsoon, and this year it was shut to tourists from June 30 to September 30. The seasonal restriction is imposed to cause the least possible disturbance to wildlife, to let the forest and animal habitats turn green again, and to keep both animals and tourists safe during the rainy months. Tourism in the core zone remained shut, but safaris continued in TATR's buffer areas.
The formal ceremony to mark the reopening of the core zone was held at the Moharli gate. Deputy Conservator of Forests (Core Area) Anand Reddy inaugurated the new safari season there. The local sarpanch and Forest Department officials were also present as the tourists' vehicles were flagged off into the forest.
The rain has transformed the landscape at Tadoba. Water bodies have filled up again, and the bamboo clumps and grasslands have turned green. After months of rain, the forest looks fresh.
Tourists' enthusiasm on the first day was heightened by sightings of animals. Tourists said they saw tigers, leopards, bears and other wild animals during the safari.
The excitement was not limited to Tadoba. Tourists also responded well as safaris began at the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) and the Umred-Pauni-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (UPKWS).
According to Forest Department officials, tourists entered these two places through 10 gates on Thursday. At Pench's Khursapar gate, tourists saw a sub-adult cub of the tigress Bindu, while leopards were spotted in the Gothangaon area of UPKWS.
With the monsoon closure over and the core zones open, activity has returned to Vidarbha's wildlife tourism circuit. Tourists are once again heading into the forests in search of the region's famous tigers and other animals.
