Jungle safari in Gujarat`s Gir forest opens to public after four months

Junagadh: Jungle safari to the Gir forest in Gujarat, the only abode of Asiatic lions, was on Saturday (October 17) reopened for tourists after remaining closed for nearly four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Sasan Gir, Mohan Ram flagged off an open jungle safari jeep at Sasan Gir.
He said tourists will have a different experience this year as the landscape has witnessed some unusual changes due to the late monsoon season, and appealed to them to follow guidelines and SOP in view of the pandemic.

Every year, the Gir and Girnar jungle safari opens to the public from October 16 till June 15 and remains closed for the rest of the year. Other attractions such as Devaliya and Ambardi safari parks, both habitats of lions, remain open throughout the year.

"Jungle safari in Gir forest started today, and we have received 100 per cent booking, all done online. This is a positive start," Ram told reporters.

He said the Devaliya safari park, which opened from June 17 this year (after remaining closed due to COVID-19 pandemic), has received a footfall of over 1.31 lakh tourists since then.

"We believe Gir safari will receive a similar response. We have upgraded infrastructure for tourists and would request them to follow COVID-19 guidelines and help us in containing the spread of the infection," he said.

The number of Asiatic lions in the Gir forest region has increased by 29 per cent to 674 as per the population estimation exercise carried out the last year.