No elephant safari in Dudhwa National Park this season

Tourists visiting the Dudhwa National Park will not be able to enjoy elephant safari this season as most trained jumbos have been deployed in patrolling duties, the park administration said on Sunday.

According to park Deputy Director Manoj Sonkar, another major reason to put restrictions on the safari is the aggressive nature of male elephants, which may pose a serious threat to the safety of riders.

Sonkar said the decision in this regard was taken after several incidents of elephants chasing their mahouts and attendants came to fore.

"Dudhwa has adequate number of vehicles and tourists could enjoy their jungle safari on the vehicles," Sonkar said.

The decision may play as a spoilsport as most tourist visit the park to enjoy elephant safari.

Located on India-Nepal border, the Dudhwa National Park has a number of species of birds, reptiles, wild elephants, aquatic animals, one-horned rhinos, wild elephants besides its enriched flora and fauna.

Its undisturbed natural forest cover, vast spans of grass lands and wetlands provide adventurous moments to tourists and wildlife enthusiasts.