Tourists banned from sanctuary due to fire threat

WAYANAD, Kerala: Entry of tourists in the eco tourism zones in Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary has been banned till April 15 due to the possibility of fires in the summer season, a top forest department official said.
Besides this, tourist activities inside the forest would not only disturb movement of wild animals from the forest fringes of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in search of fodder and water, but also result in man-animal conflict, a release from the sanctuary said.
Considering these facts, the Principal Chief Forest Conservator (Wildlife) in Thiruvananthapuram ordered the ban under Section 30 and 33 the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it said.-PTI