There
is an on-going battle being played out through the Indian courts regarding
tigers. For most of the ‘low season’
there has been a ban on tourists entering Indian National Parks in order to
‘protect the tigers’. Many National Parks are closed at this time anyway so the
impact for tourists has been negligible.
But behind the scenes hotels/resorts/lodges, guides and other people
that make their living in the parks, the Indian States that have National Parks,
Tiger Conservation organisations and other interested bodies have all been
battling to keep the parks open. Their
argument is that tiger poachers do not operate where there are tourists. Also of course tourists bring in large
amounts of money which can be re-invested into the parks. So rather that threatening tigers - tourism
is helping them. Plus of course there
are large numbers of people earning a living through ‘tiger tourism’.
During
the ban the local people are doing their best to give people the best
experience they can considering the limitations. This may include visiting the buffer zones or
adjacent land.
The
arguments continue through the Supreme Court and the next hearing is on 27
September. In the meantime if you are
travelling to India and your itinerary includes a visit to a National Park you
will have to take local advice depending on the situation at the time.
