Rs 25k fine imposed on 5 tourists for consuming alcohol in Tadoba Tiger Reserve
Rs 25k fine imposed on 5 tourists for consuming alcohol in Tadoba Tiger Reserve
The adage “some people never change” was validated when five tourists were discovered drinking alcohol while on a wildlife safari in Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). The wildlife management has punished the tourists with fines of INR 5000 apiece for their actions.
The incident, which occurred recently near the Tadoba Tiger Reserve’s Moharli Gate, brought to light the growing misbehaviour and illicit activities by tourists inside protected areas.
The tourists reportedly left the Tadoba Tiger Reserve through Moharli Gate, with one member of their group expressing a strong desire to see a tiger from the back of a gypsy. Regretfully, it was said that while touring the forest, every visitor in the gypsy drank alcohol.
As soon as the knowledgeable tour guide noticed this unsuitable behaviour, she quickly stepped in and advised the guests not to drink alcohol while on safari. The tourists refused to listen to the guide’s warnings, so the guide had to act decisively. According to the report, the gypsy was brought back to Moharli Gate and the forest officials were informed of the incident.
Following an inquiry, Tadoba Tiger Project management attested to the fact that all five of the tourists in the car had been drinking. As a result, the tourists were barred from entering the reserve forests in the future and fined INR 5,000 apiece. The fines that the Forest Department collected from the offenders totalled INR 25,000.
The Tadoba Tiger Project’s deputy director respected the tourists’ right to privacy by refusing to reveal their identities and citing worries for their human rights.
Nandkishore Kale, the deputy director of the Tadoba Tiger Project, Kale emphasized that there have been past instances of tourists being fined for alcohol consumption in reserve forest areas, indicating that this incident is not unique.
He emphasized that the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve’s delicate ecosystem is protected because such strict measures serve as a deterrent to discourage other tourists from engaging in similar disruptive behaviour.
