Two tourists from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh were fined ₹25,000 by authorities at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve for violating forest laws that endangered their lives.
The move is expected to send a strong message to visitors to the national park against disembarking from their vehicles to pose in front of wild animals — a tendency which has become a serious issue but fraught with danger.
The fine of ₹25,000 follows emergence of a video early this month in which two tourists were seen being chased by a wild elephant; one of them who tripped while running narrowly escaped being trampled by the elephant.
Based on the video which went viral on social media, the Forest Department traced the tourists to Visakhapatnam and issued a notice to them.
Thetourists appeared before the department personnel in Bandipur and confessed to having disembarked from the vehicle but pleaded that it was not to take a selfie with animals but to relieve themselves.
Ramesh Kumar, Director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, said the other evidence against them was that one of them had dropped an expensive mobile phone when the elephant chased them and they had sought the assistance of the Forest Department to trace it for them.
“At that point the local beat guards, who tracked the phone for them, were oblivious of the forest rule violation and the chase involving the elephant,” said Mr. Ramesh Kumar.
This is not the first time that the authorities have imposed such a hefty fine. A similar amount was levied on another group of tourists from Maharashtra for violation of rules.
Though the Forest Department has installed signages and boards warning public against parking in the middle of the forests or getting down from the vehicle, such warnings are ignored. The imposition of hefty amount as prescribed by the law is expected to reduce such violations.
