Beware! The jumbo selfie trap at Bandipur!
Many travellers get adventurous and venture too close to elephants by getting down from their vehicles.
CHAMARAJANAGAR: It is that time of the year when wild animals come out of deep jungles to graze right next to roads passing through Bandipur National Park. For selfie-obsessed, smartphone brandishing visitors, it is the right opportunity to get that perfect shot, ignoring the dangers involved in getting too close to wild animals, like elephants, deer and gaurs.
The two national highways, leading to Ooty (NH-67) in Tamil Nadu and Waynad (NH-766) in Kerala, going past Bandipur, pass through the scenic and lush green Moolehole and Maddur ranges, and offer more sightings of elephants.
Many travellers get adventurous and venture too close to elephants by getting down from their vehicles. Some others play safe by taking their vehicles close to grazing animals and clicking selfies from inside cars.
Patrolling forest teams warn such visitors, but it is humanly impossible for the staffers to monitor all such activities and visitors. Fortunately, there have been no wild animal attacks on travellers inside the park till now, forest officials told Deccan Chronicle.
"Serious offences attract penalties ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 in Moolehole range," they said.
Mr Anthony Mariyappa, Assistant Conservator of Forests, said that he has asked his men to spread awareness among travellers before imposing penalties.
Mr Raghuram of Himagiri Conservation Society suggested that awareness should be created among travellers on dos and don'ts within forests and that the forest department should increase patrolling to bring down violations.