Mobile phone use has been banned for tourists during vehicle safaris in the core tourism zones of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris district.
Spread across 688 square kilometres, the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife and around 260 species of birds. It also houses one of Asia’s major elephant camps.
A large number of tourists visit Mudumalai to see elephants and undertake safaris inside the forest. The Forest Department operates jeep and van safaris for visitors.
The Forest Department has now prohibited tourists from using mobile phones during the safaris to prevent disturbance to wildlife in the core habitat tourism zones.
Mudumalai Forest Range Officer Yuvaraja said the ban on mobile phone use in the core habitat tourism zones came into effect from Wednesday in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.
Tourists undertaking safaris can safely hand over their mobile phones to the safari vehicles and collect them after completing the trip, he said.
Yuvaraja appealed to visitors to extend their cooperation, stating that public support would greatly contribute to wildlife conservation.
