<p>The next time you visit any forest patch in Karnataka, be ready to cough up an additional fee as camera charge. <br /><br /></p>.<p>In order to discourage nuisance-making visitors, the Forest Department has introduced camera charges by issuing an official circular issued last month. Now, carrying an SLR camera above 400-500 mm lens will cost you Rs 500 and a video camera Rs 1,000. <br /><br />This is one of the many conservation measures introduced by the department to restrict footfall. There are many instances of people who, in their urge to photograph the wildlife especially tigers, create problems for forest staff and other visitors. These visitors want exclusive jeeps and demand to be taken on different safari routes, apart from the prescribed ones, said Vinay Luthra, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. <br /><br />“They reason that since they are carrying expensive cameras, they want to photograph large mammals, especially tigers,” he told Deccan Herald. “The notification is aimed at discouraging the visits of such people.” <br /><br />Wildlife photographers from Bengaluru usually go to Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves as these two patches are close-by. And all of them want to photograph tigers. “We cannot stop these people from photographing and we won’t either. But the idea is to restrict people. This is one of the conservation steps. We want serious people to come to forest areas and help in conservation,” Luthra added. <br /><br />The measure seems to be working as a deterrent. According to a forest official, the number of visitors has come down by about 10 per cent. At the Bandipur National Tiger Reserve, the number of people carrying cameras has come down to four per week from 10-12 earlier. During the holiday season, this number would go up to 15. Safari charges will be over and above the camera charges. Indian visitors pay Rs 300 for bus safari and foreigners Rs 1,100. <br /><br />The rent for jeep safari is Rs 2,000. Then Indian visitors have to pay Rs 200 and foreigners Rs 1,000. In case of gypsy safari, the rent is Rs 3,000 and Indian visitors pay Rs 200 and foreigners Rs 1,000.<br /><br />Today is International Tiger Day <br /><br />The day is celebrated across the world to create awareness about and take measures to conserve tigers. The concept of celebrating the day started in 2010. <br /><br />There are 14 tiger countries, with India housing 70 per cent of the tiger population. Karnataka has 406 out of 2,226 tigers in India. Western Ghats states—Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa—house 776 tigers, making the region the richest and the most densely tiger populated landscape in the world. <br /><br /> In India, the big cat is called Royal Bengal Tiger. In other regions, its names are Caspian Tiger, Siberian Tiger, South China Tiger, Javan Tiger, Indochinese Tiger, Malayan Tiger, Sumatran Tiger and Balinese Tiger. <br /> <br /><br /></p>
<p>The next time you visit any forest patch in Karnataka, be ready to cough up an additional fee as camera charge. <br /><br /></p>.<p>In order to discourage nuisance-making visitors, the Forest Department has introduced camera charges by issuing an official circular issued last month. Now, carrying an SLR camera above 400-500 mm lens will cost you Rs 500 and a video camera Rs 1,000. <br /><br />This is one of the many conservation measures introduced by the department to restrict footfall. There are many instances of people who, in their urge to photograph the wildlife especially tigers, create problems for forest staff and other visitors. These visitors want exclusive jeeps and demand to be taken on different safari routes, apart from the prescribed ones, said Vinay Luthra, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. <br /><br />“They reason that since they are carrying expensive cameras, they want to photograph large mammals, especially tigers,” he told Deccan Herald. “The notification is aimed at discouraging the visits of such people.” <br /><br />Wildlife photographers from Bengaluru usually go to Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves as these two patches are close-by. And all of them want to photograph tigers. “We cannot stop these people from photographing and we won’t either. But the idea is to restrict people. This is one of the conservation steps. We want serious people to come to forest areas and help in conservation,” Luthra added. <br /><br />The measure seems to be working as a deterrent. According to a forest official, the number of visitors has come down by about 10 per cent. At the Bandipur National Tiger Reserve, the number of people carrying cameras has come down to four per week from 10-12 earlier. During the holiday season, this number would go up to 15. Safari charges will be over and above the camera charges. Indian visitors pay Rs 300 for bus safari and foreigners Rs 1,100. <br /><br />The rent for jeep safari is Rs 2,000. Then Indian visitors have to pay Rs 200 and foreigners Rs 1,000. In case of gypsy safari, the rent is Rs 3,000 and Indian visitors pay Rs 200 and foreigners Rs 1,000.<br /><br />Today is International Tiger Day <br /><br />The day is celebrated across the world to create awareness about and take measures to conserve tigers. The concept of celebrating the day started in 2010. <br /><br />There are 14 tiger countries, with India housing 70 per cent of the tiger population. Karnataka has 406 out of 2,226 tigers in India. Western Ghats states—Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa—house 776 tigers, making the region the richest and the most densely tiger populated landscape in the world. <br /><br /> In India, the big cat is called Royal Bengal Tiger. In other regions, its names are Caspian Tiger, Siberian Tiger, South China Tiger, Javan Tiger, Indochinese Tiger, Malayan Tiger, Sumatran Tiger and Balinese Tiger. <br /> <br /><br /></p>