Maharashtra: Safaris to resume at Chandrapur tiger reserve from Oct 1

After remaining closed for tourists for nearly seven months, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra will resume safaris from October 1, an official said on Wednesday.

Safaris were suspended at the reserve in March following the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

Safaris will resume as per guidelines issued by the state government and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, TATR's chief conservator of forest and field director in a release.

As per guidelines, open jeeps will accommodate a driver, a guide and four tourists during safaris, which will not be open to pregnant women, children below 10 years and senior citizens above the age of 65, the official said.

Tourists, drivers and guides will have to undergo thermal screening, and precautionary measures including social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitisation will have to be followed, he said.

People with symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter the reserve and will immediately be sent to a care centre nearby, the official added.

Starting Wednesday, the authorities have facilitated online bookings for safaris on the website www.mytadoba.org, it was stated.