Indravati Tiger Reserve Plans Safari Reopening After Nearly 40 Years
In short
- Indravati, in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, was declared a tiger reserve in 1983 but has had no organised tourism for nearly four decades.
- The forest department has announced 1 November 2026 as the target reopening date as security conditions improve.
- Researchers recorded 10 smooth-coated otters feeding on fish in the Indravati River, the first photographic evidence there in roughly 25 years.
Why the Good News Desk likes this one
Organised safaris stopped because armed conflict made parts of the forest unsafe to travel through. Improved security now lets officials patrol and study areas they could not reach before. The reopening is planned, with routes still being mapped, and the otters are classified as Vulnerable, with evidence of hunting and snares still found.
From The Better India
For nearly 40 years, wildlife lovers could visit tiger reserves across India, but organised safaris at Indravati in Chhattisgarh remained out of reach. The reason was not a lack of wildlife. It was the danger of travelling through the forest. Located in Bastar's Bijapur district, Indravati was declared a tiger reserve in 1983. But as Maoist insurgency and armed conflict affected the region, travelling through large parts of the forest became risky. Even forest officials struggled to reach certain areas for patrolling and wildlife monitoring. With safety a major concern, organised tourism...
