Jalpaiguri, June 8 -- Ahead of the Durga Puja tourism season, the Forest department has decided to introduce a fourth trained Kumki elephant for elephant safari services at Gorumara National Park in a bid to accommodate growing tourist demand and ease booking congestion.
At present, elephant safaris at Gorumara are operated from the Dhupjhora Elephant Camp using three trained elephants. Forest officials have now announced that a fourth elephant will be added to the safari fleet when the park reopens on September 16 following the annual monsoon closure.
According to the Forest Department, elephant safaris begin and end at the Dhupjhora Elephant Camp. Currently, bookings for two elephants are available online, while reservations for the third elephant are made offline. Safaris are conducted in four shifts each day, including an evening session.
The decision to introduce another elephant was revealed during a meeting held at the Jalpaiguri District Magistrate's office on Thursday. The meeting, attended by Jalpaiguri MP Jayanta Roy and senior BJP leaders, reviewed various administrative and development initiatives. During the discussion, DFO of the Gorumara Wildlife Division, Dwija Pratim Sen, outlined the division's plans for the upcoming tourist season.
Forest reserves across North Bengal, including Gorumara, remain closed from June 16 for three months due to the monsoon. Tourist entry and bookings at forest bungalows will resume from September 16.
Tourism stakeholders have welcomed the move. Sabyasachi Roy, adviser to the Jalpaiguri Tour Operator Welfare Association, said that despite one elephant being reserved for offline bookings, regular tourists often struggle to secure safari slots, leading to intense competition for online reservations. Dibyendu Dev, a tourism entrepreneur from the Dooars, noted that elephant safaris remain significantly more popular among visitors than jeep safaris. However, the limited number of elephants has prevented many tourists from obtaining bookings.
Welcoming the initiative, MP Jayanta Roy said the expansion would enhance visitor experience while supporting the Forest department's objective of providing planned tourism services in an environmentally sustainable manner.
He added that conservation of North Bengal's forests and wildlife remains the government's foremost priority alongside eco-friendly tourism development.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.