Reclaiming the night

India’s crackdown on night safaris is a step towards restoring nature’s rhythms

- VAISHALI DAR

NIGHT SAFARIS HAVE allured wildlife enthusiasts for a rare glimpse of the forest when its residents emerge from the dark. In India, where over 100 national parks and more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries form some of the world's richest ecological landscapes, nighttime wildlife experiences have offered mystery and excitement.

But this experience is about to change amid larger conservation concerns leading to a balance between ecological protection and experiential tourism.

A landmark shift came recently when the Supreme Court of India issued stringent directions governing tourism within tiger reserves in India. With the urgency of ecological restoration, the court ruled that night tourism must be completely banned inside tiger reserves. The bench accepted the recommendations of an expert committee appointed to examine ecological violations, stating unequivocally that “tiger safari shall not be permitted in the core or a critical tiger habitat area.”

Instead, tiger safaris, the court noted, may only be allowed in association with a full-fledged rescue and rehabilitation centre, meant for conflict, injured or abandoned tigers, and not for entertainment-driven tourism. The court reminded states that ecotourism cannot resemble mass tourism. New eco-friendly resorts may be constructed in buffer zones but not in wildlife corridors. Community-run tourism, homestays, and local entrepreneurship, the order emphasised, should be encouraged.