Jungle safari on boat in Pench from Nov
| Date :12-Sep-2023 |
By Kaushik Bhattacharya :
Adding a new dimension to jungle safari in Maharashtra to attract more tourists, the Forest Department is set to start jungle safari on boat in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) from November this year. Maharashtra, which has second highest population of tigers in the country, is getting serious to develop eco-tourism by introducing new ideas in its reserve forests. PTR is set to become the Central India’s firsttiger reserve to have the facility of jungle safari on boat. Maharashtra Forest Department allows jungle safari on Maruti Gypsy, Mahindra Bolero and Tata buses in all its tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Trained elephants are in use at some of the tiger reserves including Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) for jungle safari. Addition of four more tuskers from Karnataka will boost jungle safari on elephants in PTR. Now, tourists can enjoy jungle safari on the boat too. “We had sent the proposal for jungle safari on boat to the Government last year. It was a Rs 2.90 crore proposal which immediately got the approval from the Government. The tendering process for the same will be approved by the State Government soon,” Dr Prabhu Nath Shukla, Field Director, PTR, told ‘The Hitavada’.
“Initially, we will start the jungle safari on two boats. On getting good response from wildlife lovers, we will increase the number of boats,” said Dr Shukla. Through ‘Jungle Safari on Boat’, wildlife lovers and tourists will have a unique adventure apart from sighting wild animals coming to the banks of Pench river to quench thirst. Tourists can have a thrilling experience in Pench river which has a good number of crocodiles. Also, a better view of thousands of migratory birds visiting PTR from a long distance will be a new experience for the tourists. “This form of jungle safari will allow tourists to enjoy sighting wild animals, know more about aquatic life of Pench river and also the birds which are rare to sight during jungle safari by road or on elephants,” said Dr Shukla.
Tourists can travel 23 kilometers on boat during the safari which will be held between Kolitmara and Navegaon Khairi. The safari of boat will be held for two-and-a-half hours. The Department is currently conducting trials of jungle safari on boat. A review in this regard is being conducted by the Forest Department. According to the sources, the jungle safari of boat is likely to start in the month of November this year. Using boats will not disturb peace in the jungle as special solar boats will be used to avoid noise, air and water pollution. The charges for the jungle safari on boat will be around Rs 1,500 per person and the boat can accommodate 24 persons at a time.