Karnataka to resume national park safaris 3 months after stopping them over man-animal conflict

Khandre told reporters that the number of safari trips and vehicles would be reduced, apart from cutting short the duration of the safaris. For instance, Bandipur safaris, which used to last a total of eight hours per day, will now be limited to five hours. Safaris will run for six hours at Sunkadakatte and for four hours at Nagarahole in the initial phase.

The number of safari vehicles taking tourists inside the parks will be reduced to half of what was deployed before the safari was stopped on November 7, 2025. The rest of the vehicles will be deployed along the villages located near the edges of the forests to prevent conflict. To prevent misuse of these vehicles, all safari vehicles will be fitted with GPS and dashcams within the next two months, Khandre said.

The minister said that as per the recommendations of the committee, a third of the revenue generated from safaris would be set aside for the development of local communities for activities such as skill training, fodder cultivation for livestock, and conservation projects.

On January 2, during a meeting chaired by the chief minister, the Karnataka Wildlife Board resolved to form a technical committee to study and recommend phased safari resumption. The committee included officials from the forest department, scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, and professors from the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal.