Jungle safari to be introduced soon in Mancherial forests

Nature lovers, who are forced to visit Kawal Tiger Reserve and other tourist spots in neighbouring Maharashtra for jungle safari shelling out huge amounts, can have a ride through the dense forests and enjoy the wilderness of the region, apart from trekking, watch various species of birds, and see serene streams en route.

Mancherial: Here is good news to nature lovers and tourists. The Forest department is going to introduce a jungle safari service in the forests in the district headquarters soon.

Nature lovers, who are forced to visit Kawal Tiger Reserve and other tourist spots in neighbouring Maharashtra for jungle safari shelling out huge amounts, can have a ride through the dense forests and enjoy the wilderness of the region, apart from trekking, watch various species of birds, and see serene streams en route.

“In order to tap potentiality of the forests of the district and to expose historical sites, three tracks measuring 20 kilometres each were developed covering the dense forests, grasslands, ancient Gandhari Khilla and percolation tanks and a lake formed in an abandoned quarry of Mancherial Cement Company, in the forests of Old Mancherial section. The safari will be introduced on the tracks in a week,” Mancherial District Forest Officer Shiv Aasheesh Singh told Telangana Today.

Forest said a track would start at the abandoned quarry, and wind through the forests, hillocks and seasonal streams before ending at the historical Gandhari fort, offering a thrilling experience to nature lovers. They stated that the other tracks pass through the forests near lakes formed in abandoned quarries of MCC. The tracks are located barely 10 km away from the town.

Machans, watch towers

Machans were created at three spots to help tourists take a short break during the ride, while watch towers were erected helping them to enjoy panoramic views and to click photographs of the forests. Tourists can stay at night atop the machans. Security would be provided to the tourists who would like to spend the night in the forest.

Sighting of wild animals

Spotted deer, Nilgai and Indian gaur can be sighted along the tracks in early mornings and evenings. CCTV camera traps were installed to record movements of the herbivores and carnivores, while percolation tanks were created in grasslands by laying a 1.5-km pipeline and by drawing water from a lake of MCC using a solar-based pump.

The officials stated that the service would be offered for an affordable price. They informed that they were planning to collaborate with an organisation, experienced in conducting tours, in order to organize the safari service. They said that they were exploring forests of Jaipur to roll out a similar service in near future.

Jungle Safari To Be Introduced Soon In Mancherial Forests (1)