No more elephant rides in Jim Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserve

In a new move, there would be no more elephant joy rides and safaris in Jim Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserve from now on. The Uttarakhand Government recently issued a statement, stating that it has banned the use of commercial safaris and elephants for joy rides.
A division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Lok Pal Singh issued a legal order stating commercial use of elephants to be banned in Uttarakhand until further notice. In fact the Uttarakhand High Court banned the commercial use of animals for safaris and joy rides, citing the breach of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Uttarakhand High Court also stated that the state government should not remain a mute spectator in such a scenario and need rules and regulation in place to keep criminal tribes at bay from the vicinity of national parks to protect the wildlife. The court further elaborated the current scenario as to how the animals are exploited and hurt during commercial use.
As per the news reports, the government has taken actions in this context by restricting the number of gypsies to 100 per day inside the parks. Wildlife activists and environmentalists have welcomed this move of the state government and shared their views saying that such a step is the need of the hour to conserve wildlife and their surroundings.
News reports also state that the wildlife chief warden has been instructed to issue proper receipts to elephant owners and ensure that elephants are taken for routine check-ups and medical examination.

So, as of now, visitors to these national parks will need to let go of their elephant joy ride.