The Forest Department has announced that wildlife sanctuaries and buffer tourism zones across all tiger reserves in the state will remain open for tourists during the monsoon season. According to the directives issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden and PCCF (Wildlife) under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, all core zones in tiger reserves will stay closed from June 15 to September 30 due to the monsoon. However, tourists will still be allowed to enter through all buffer zone gates across every tiger reserve.
In the past few years, the Forest Department had experimented with keeping selected buffer zones open during the rainy season in Pench Tiger Reserve and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. This year, the department has expanded the decision and allowed all buffer zones in all tiger reserves to remain accessible during monsoon.
Eco-tourism activities, including gypsy safari rides, will continue in buffer areas and protected forest regions located outside the Core Tiger Habitats (CTHs). Wildlife destinations such as Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary, Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary, Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Nandur Madhmeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary and Sanjay Gandhi National Park will also remain open for tourists during the rainy season.
Forest officials stated that this is the first time wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra will stay open throughout the monsoon season, making it a significant change from the traditional seasonal closure. Earlier, authorities in the Pench landscape had suggested an early shutdown of tourism activities in the core zones of Pench National Park, Bor Tiger Reserve and Umred Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary from June 15 to September 30, nearly two weeks before the usual schedule. However, the Chief Wildlife Warden later instructed that all buffer zones in tiger reserves should remain open during the monsoon season. Generally, under the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the core areas of tiger reserves and wildlife parks remain closed for tourists from July 1 to September 30 during monsoon.
Speaking about the decision, Dr. Prabhunath Shukla, Field Director of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, said that some buffer zones were earlier kept open for eco-tourism during monsoon, but this year all buffer zone gates will remain open for safari tourism throughout the season. He clarified that the monsoon restrictions apply only to the core zones.
Similarly, Piyusha Jagtap, Field Director of Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve, mentioned that they had initially received instructions to close the reserve from June 15. However, they will now keep the tiger reserve open during the monsoon season except for the core zones.
