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Journalism of Courage
With the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (GNPWLS) set to reopen to tourists on Saturday after a prolonged break due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the annual monsoon closure, there is a heavy rush for safaris inside the forest — the last remaining home of the Asiatic lions in the world.
Dushyant Vasavada, the chief conservator of forests of the Junagadh wildlife circle, said, “There is heavy rush for booking permits online. Save a few permits for October 22 and 23, the rest of the spots have been booked for all days till end of Diwali festivities.”
The Gujarat State Lion Conservation Society, an autonomous body functioning under the aegis of the Gujarat forest department, issues 150 safari permits during weekdays and 180 permits on the weekends.
Per permit, a maximum of six adults and one child can enter the tourism zone of the safari from sanctuary headquarters Sasan.
While the sanctuary remains closed to tourists during the monsoon, the Gir Interpretation Zone, Devaliya, popularly called Devaliya safari park near Sasan in Gir (west) wildlife division and Ambardi safari park in Gir (east) wildlife division near Dhari in Amreli remain open to tourists round the year.
The tourist footfall at Sasan has seen steady growth at over the past decade, especially after Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited promoted the sanctuary and lions in its Khusbhoo Gujarat Ki campaign, headlined by Amitabh Bachchan.
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