Hike in ‘gypsy booking price’ in Sariska tiger reserve mops up more revenue
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Representative image.
Jaipur: The tiger safari in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) became more expensive a couple of month ago as the gypsy booking price for tiger safari was increased by Rs 1,000. This has led to an increase in revenue for Sariska tiger foundation.
As per the hike, a gypsy safari will now cost Rs 4,280. The park is short on tigers when compared to Ranthambore reserve with only 13 to 14 tigers compared to RTR’s 60. The park is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, India. The protected area comprises scrub-thorn arid forests, rocky landscapes, dry deciduous forests, rocks, grasses and hilly cliffs. This area was a hunting preserve of the Alwar state and it was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955.
The primary reason to increase the price is to boost the annual income of the Tiger Conservation Foundation. Its annual income is currently Rs 80 lakhs and it needs more funds to continue the conservation work.
Many wildlife lovers have objected to this hike. They say that tourism at this park is likely to suffer as there are fewer tigers here compared to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR). This hike can severely impact the number of people who visit this place.
STR was given the status of a tiger reserve thus becoming a part of the country’s Project Tiger in 1978. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 334 sq mi. The reserve was declared a national park in 1982 and is considered the first reserve in the world to have successfully relocated tigers.
Apart from the Bengal tiger, the reserve also includes many species of wild life, such as the Indian leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, Indian jackal, chital, sambhar, nilgai, chinkara, four-horned antelope, wild boar, hare, hanuman langur, rhesus monkeys. Sariska is also a delight for bird watchers with some of the rarest species like gray partridge, white-throated kingfisher, Indian peafowl, bush quail, sandgrouse, treepie, golden-backed woodpecker, crested serpent eagle and the Indian eagle-owl.
