Cannot permit zoo in a national park: SC on proposed tiger safari at Corbett

The Supreme Court has ruled that the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s plan to establish a tiger safari at the Jim Corbett national park cannot be permitted. The court stated that the approach should be “animal-centric” rather than “tourism-centric”. The decision came after a petition challenged the Uttarakhand government’s proposal for a tiger safari, which would involve keeping animals in cages within the national park. The court questioned the NTCA’s 2019 guidelines, which allowed for the establishment of tiger safaris in buffer and fringe areas of tiger reserves. The case will continue to be heard.