Safari operations in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves, paused for more than 100 days due to rising tiger attacks, are set to resume in phases. Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre announced this after an expert committee submitted an interim report on Wednesday. The committee, formed by the Karnataka State Wildlife Board, studied the safari vehicle capacity in both reserves. It included forest officials, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, and a professor from the Indian Institute of Forest Management. "Safari operations have been suspended since November 7. Following the expert report, we have decided to lift the ban. We will reduce the number of trips," said Mr. Khandre. Safari hours will be cut from eight to five hours daily in Bandipur. Sunkadakatte safaris will run for six hours, and Nagarahole for four hours initially. In the first phase, only 50% of the vehicles that operated before November 7 will be allowed. The rest of the vehicles and staff will help strengthen patrolling near villages to stop wild animals from entering human areas. All safari vehicles will be equipped with GPS and dashboard cameras within two months to monitor and control their movement strictly. Bandipur covers 1,036 sq km, with only 8% as a tourism zone. Nagarahole spans 844 sq km, with 7.5% allocated for eco-tourism. Experts found no scientific proof that safaris caused tigers to leave forest areas and enter villages. Also, one-third of the total income from eco-tourism will support skill development in local communities, cattle fodder growth, and environmental projects. Safari operations will restart only after ensuring enough personnel are deployed in sensitive zones to avoid human-wildlife conflict. All tiger capture actions followed rules approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).