Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Wildlife Tourism Urged to Look Beyond Tiger Sightings
Many people visit Indian forests hoping to see a tiger.
Gajendra Singh Rathore says tigers can attract visitors, but the whole safari should not depend on finding one.
He wants visitors to notice birds, animal sounds, footprints and other parts of the forest.
He also says too many tourists are visiting the same famous parks.
Spreading visitors across more places, zones and seasons could reduce crowding.
A safari becomes less enjoyable when many vehicles gather around one animal.
Rathore believes local people know a great deal about the forests and should play an important role.
He points to Pench, where the tiger population grew from 33 in 2006 to more than 120.
He says the best wildlife experience is learning about the entire forest rather than being promised a tiger sighting.
Gajendra Singh Rathore says Indian wildlife tourism is too concentrated in a few famous national parks.
He advocates distributing visitors across parks, safari zones and seasons instead of simply restricting travel.
Rathore says safaris should encourage understanding of forests, birds, animal signs and wider ecosystems—not only tiger sightings.
He warns that crowding and large groups of vehicles can damage the visitor experience and pressure forests.
Rathore says local communities should be treated as sources of vital knowledge and as foundations of wildlife tourism.
- Who
- Gajendra Singh Rathore, managing director of Jungle Camps India, is calling for changes to wildlife tourism.
- What
- He says tourism should look beyond tiger sightings, reduce crowding, distribute visitors more widely and involve local communities.
- When
- Rathore describes changes over the past two decades and compares visitor questions in 2002 with those today.
- Where
- The discussion concerns wildlife tourism in India, including examples from Pench and Kanha.
- Why
- To reduce pressure from concentrated tourism and help visitors understand forests, ecosystems and local knowledge.
- Speaker
- Gajendra Singh Rathore, managing director of Jungle Camps India
- Main concern
- Visitors and safari activity are concentrated in a small number of famous national parks.
- Suggested approach
- Distribute tourism across parks, gates, zones and seasons.
- Safari access
- Rathore says less than 20 percent of the park is currently accessible for safari.
- Pench tiger population
- The population rose from 33 in 2006 to more than 120 today, according to Rathore.
- Community role
- Local communities should be valued for their forest knowledge, not treated only as an employment source.
- Crowding warning
- Rathore says a destination reaches a tipping point when guests remember crowds more than the animal.