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While the Periyar Tiger Reserve, which we are closest to and particularly amazed by, was the exception to the rule below, we understood the ban.  Tiger habitat is threatened, and radical action was taken.  The Periyar Tiger Reserve was exempted from the ban for reasons complex and rich enough that we will have to explain on another occasion, but in short there is a history of enlightened leadership of this particular Reserve.  For the moment, we will just relay today’s news, which comes as a relief to all the businesses surrounding all the Tiger Reserves across India, who were severely affected by the ban.  They must all be smiling now:

India’s top court lifted a ban on tourism in tiger reserves across the country but asked local governments to regulate visitors.

The Supreme Court had ordered a complete ban on such tourism in July while the government formulated new guidelines. It lifted the ban late Tuesday after the government announced new rules aimed at allowing tourism to co-exist with conservation.

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