Encounters With Samrat And The Changing Face Of Wildlife Tourism In Bandhavgarh

Visitors on a jeep safari in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh recently experienced a tense moment when an eight-year-old male Bengal tiger named Samrat stared directly at their vehicle before slipping away into the bushes. Samrat is one of the more than one hundred tigers that roam the Tala and Khitauli zones of the reserve, a park that tour guide Viswajit Singh Solanki describes as his first and special sighting spot. Madhya Pradesh leads India in the tiger population, boasting more than 780 tigers across its wildlife reserves. Bandhavgarh itself is home to 164 tigers in total, with 35 of them accessible to tourists in both the core and buffer zones.

Reserve Layout And Tourism Shift

Spread across 1,536 square kilometres, the reserve is divided almost equally into core and buffer zones that include nearby farms and villages. Viswajit notes that these buffer areas are important because sub-adult tigers rely on them for easier prey like cattle, while adult tigers stay in the core zones with plenty of deer. According to Manav Khanduja of Pugdundee Safaris, which runs a 14-hectare lodge with ten cottages and eight stilt houses, Bandhavgarh remains a top spot for spotting tigers. However, immense pressure to find the animals has led tourists to visit buffer zones more frequently than in past years. Manav also recalls older practices like elephant-backed tiger shows, which were eventually banned by the government.

Recent Rules And History

Tourists visiting the park are no longer allowed to carry cellphones, following an early 2026 Supreme Court ruling aimed at promoting responsible wildlife tourism and reducing stress for the animals. The Tala Zone inside the park features more than a dozen caves filled with bats and a fort that locals believe is more than a thousand years old. Legend says Lord Rama built the fort for his brother Lakshman, giving the park its name, and the area later served as a hunting ground for kings. Maharaja Marthand Singh of Rewa is credited with establishing and conserving the National Park in the 1960s.

Context

National parks and tiger reserves across India balance heavy tourist interest with strict wildlife protection laws to ensure animal safety. Recent regulatory measures, including cellphone bans during safaris, reflect a growing push by authorities to curb disruptive visitor behavior and prioritize natural habitat conservation.