Karnataka forest dept urges environment ministry to open wildlife safaris during unlock

BENGALURU: With the unlock period all set to begin from June 12, Karnataka forest department officials are also hopeful that they will be able to open wildlife safaris in the state. The safaris were kept shut not only because of the lockdown but also due to the recent directions issued to all the states by the Environment Ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on June 7 had directed all states to close down all tourism activities in tiger reserves after a lioness died of Covid-19 in Chennai’s Vandalur Zoo. “The latest incident of zoo animals getting infected with Covid-19 has once again indicated the high likelihood of disease transmission from affected human being to captive wild animals. A similar transmission may also take place in tiger reserves. In view of this, until further instructions, all tourism activities will remain closed,” the order said.

However, officials state that this is not required. “While caution is essential and it will be feasible to close down places with high human interference such as zoos, the same may not be applicable in wildlife safaris. So closing down tourism for this purpose is not feasible. We have submitted our request and are still awaiting confirmation from the ministry,” a senior forest department official said, further adding that staffers in Karnataka are better protected as they have been vaccinated and a majority of them are locals who stay away from urban civilisation. 

Going a step ahead, some activists have suggested that for caution, the ministry should instead make it mandatory to carry a negative RT-PCR test report on arrival at forested properties for stay or safari, so that staffers and wildlife remain safe. Keeping forests close will make these areas more vulnerable to poaching and affect the economy at large, 

Earlier in April 2020 also, the ministry had issued similar orders to shut down tourism in the wake of rising covid cases.