Hyderabad: Encouraged by the response for the recently launched Tiger Stay Package, the Forest department is likely to consider developing two more circuits in a sustainable way.
“The recent tour package has been accepted well by the guests. Bookings have been tremendous and we have been booked on weekends even in January, two months in advance,” Amrabad Forest Divisional Officer Rohit Gopidi told Telangana Today.
“Experience has been pleasant, with visitors being understanding and curious to learn. We will increase the capacity from 12 to 16 in a short while, which will be our maximum capacity. Probably we will look at developing other circuits in Somasila and Domalapenta, but all of them in a limited and sustainable manner,” Gopidi added.
The one-night and two-days stay package was launched mid-November and have been a hit among the nature and adventure lovers. Some of them are choosing to visit Amrabad for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries too at the accommodation site.
Some of the guests even got lucky to spot a leopard in the woods. “#tigerstaypackage visitors of @AmrabadTiger have been graced by this beautiful cat walk,” the official mentioned tagging two other officers. Gopidi posted the clip on micro-blogging site twitter on December 3 and since then the 44 second clip has garnered more than 3,800 views. Sloth bear with cubs, dholes (Indian wild dogs) and herbivores like the sambar and spotted deer among others to have been spotted in the forest safari
The community-based ecotourism package is helping in increasing the earning potential of the local youth, who are turning into guides. It is mandatory for the visitors to engage a tour guide for Rs 200. “The local guides are slowly understanding how they can earn their livelihood from forest conservation, clearly showing the benefits of eco-tourism,” said Gopidi.
The package tour also has an educational component that shows the works of the forest department, research lab and the plastic recycling centre. The research laboratory is conducting scat analysis of animals to understand the feeding behavior and presence of parasites in wildlife. All these are helping the department in sensitising the visitors, he said. At less than 150 km, the Amrabad forest area is about two-and-half hours from Hyderabad.
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