Rudrapur: Elephant safari resumed in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on Thursday after a seven-year hiatus, officials said.
The safari will operate in two shifts—morning and evening—on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Initially, three elephants have been deployed, with two in the Dhikala zone and one in the Bijrani zone, CTR director Saket Badola said.
“Elephant safari has begun with three elephants. Depending on the response from tourists and other operational considerations, the number of elephants may be increased in the future,” Badola said, adding that bookings would be available at the respective zone booking windows.
Elephant safari had been a major attraction for tourists visiting Corbett for decades but was halted in August 2018 after the Uttarakhand high court banned the use of elephants for commercial purposes.
The ban was imposed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, following a public interest litigation filed by the NGO Himalayan Yuva Gramin Vikas Sansthan.
Subsequently, on January 29, 2019, the Supreme Court lifted the ban after repeated appeals by local tourism operators, wildlife guides, and conservation enthusiasts, who sought a regulated and welfare-oriented revival of the safari. Although the legal restriction was removed, the process of restarting the elephant safari took several years, officials said.
According to the CTR administration, the safari fare has been fixed at ₹1,000 per person for Indian tourists and ₹3,000 per person for foreign nationals. Each safari trip will have a maximum capacity of five persons, while children below the age of five will be exempt from charges.
“The duration of each elephant safari has been fixed at two hours, during which tourists will be able to cover a distance of at least five kilometres,” Badola said. He added that the safari would be conducted only on designated routes to ensure minimal disturbance to wildlife while allowing visitors to experience the rich flora and fauna of the reserve.
The Corbett Tiger Reserve currently has 14 elephants, which are primarily used for forest patrolling, anti-poaching operations, and monitoring activities. “If the safari is conducted smoothly and responsibly, more elephants can be deployed for tourism purposes in a phased manner,” Badola said.