Authorities have clamped down on the use of mobile phones in several of India’s major tiger reserves.
The ban, aimed at reducing human disturbance inside wildlife habitats, applies to many of the best-known reserves, including Ranthambhore National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park.
Under the new rule, visitors are not allowed to carry or use mobile phones inside safari zones. In many parks, phones must be deposited at the entry gate or handed to guides before the drive begins.
Officials have warned that violating the rule could lead to fines, or cancellation of safari permits.
India’s destination management company Creative Travel said the decision comes after growing concern from forest officials about how widespread mobile phone use had unintentionally fuelled unsafe and disruptive behaviour: tourists raising voices, clustering vehicles around a sighting to film reels, calling guides and other drivers to specific animal locations.
Authorities say this kind of interference can alter movement patterns of tigers, leopards, deer and other animals by causing multiple vehicles to block their natural routes, generate excessive noise, and break the quiet that forms part of their habitat’s ecological balance.
Authorities say the ban is meant to ensure that tourism does not override conservation priorities.
Drivers and guides may carry a device strictly for emergencies.
Authorities have advised tour operators that guests be informed in advance to plan their safari experiences accordingly.