CHANCHAL GOLA/ Ramnagar
After a hiatus of six years, the eagerly awaited elephant-back safaris have resumed in Corbett Tiger Reserve, much to the delight of the tourists. A wave of excitement was witnessed among the visitors who enjoyed exploring the beauty of forest and wildlife atop elephants.
The warden of the Corbett National Park, Binder Pal informed that elephant safaris have been reintroduced from Friday in the Dhikala and Bijrani zones of the park. “Riding on elephants allows tourists to access narrow forest trails and observe wildlife more closely. A maximum of five tourists are permitted on each elephant during a safari,” he added.
The fee for elephant safari has been fixed at Rs 1,000 per person for Indian tourists and Rs 3,000 per person for foreign tourists. Safaris are being conducted in both morning and evening shifts. On Friday, tourists availed elephant safaris in both Dhikala and Bijrani zones.
Elephant safaris remained suspended in Corbett for the past six years, but the recent approval from the authorities concerned to restart them has generated considerable enthusiasm among visitors, Pal said.
Not just the visitors but the environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts are excited, too, with the resumption.
A wildlife enthusiast, Ganesh Rawat said that the resumption of elephant safaris would not just boost tourist footfalls but significantly enhance the park administration’s revenue. “Visitors who throng this famed park from across India and world in their thousands will now again be able to observe the serenity and diversity of wildlife from close quarters,” he noted.
