Uttarakhand will soon have a new tiger safari zone for the tourists comming to Corbett Tiger Reserve(CTR) in Ramnagar area of Tarai region. This will be third tiger safari zone to come up in Tarai West Forest Division in the past two years.
The state forest department officials have informed that CTR will soon have its ninth tiger safari zone to help accommodate more wildlife tourists and enhance the scope of ecotourism in the coming days.
The new tiger safari zone will come up at Chandani Ecotourism Area in Tarai West Forest Division adjoining CTR. Decision to create another safari zone was taken by the state forest department after remarkable response from the tourists at Phato and Hathidagar safari zones formed in the last two years. Phato Safari Zone was inaugurated by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022 while Hathi Dagar was created this year, both in Tarai West Forest Divisions. Both these zones were carved out for citing tigers and other wildlife in the Corbett. Phato is the largest safari zone for CTR.
Interestingly tourists in CTR at present get access to see wildlife from eight safari zones chiefly through Dhikala, Bijarani, Dhela, Garjiya, Jhirna, Sitabani Phato and Hathidagar. “Addition of another tiger safari zone in Corbett will help the state government and forest department to accommodate more tourists coming to watch tiger and other widlife. Belpadao safari zone will be nearly 30 square kilometres trail. It’s bound to enhance the scope of ecotourism in Terai region and offer better opportunities to the tourists to watch tigers, elephants, leopards, bears and other wild animals” said the state forest minister Subodh Uniyal.
Tarai West Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Arya claimed that a proposal for developing new Tiger Safari Zone has been has been sent to the center by the state government. The proposal involves creation of basic facilities like safari zone gate, construction of booking counters, toilets and parking places.