Tyavarekoppa to host country’s first Bison safari

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Tyavarekoppa, a tiger and lion reserve in Shivamogga district, is all set to host the country’s first bison safari and is expected to open for tourists by the end of the current month.

This will enable visitors to see the wild bison from a close angle. A special corridor has been created for the bison and Indian gaur safari on 650 acres inside the sanctuary. Fencing work is going on and is in the final stages. The process of bringing 25 bison/Indian gaur from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological park in Mysuru, is expected to happen in the next one week.

Safari vehicles, after passing through the tiger and lion part of the sanctuary, can travel through the bison/Indian gaur section too. Shivamogga MP B.Y. Raghavendra has taken special interest in setting up the Bison Safari and got Rs 10 crore sanctioned by the state government for the purpose.

Transporting bison to the sanctuary is a big challenge as each bison weighs over one tonne and they are highly sensitive too.

A round of talks has already been held with the authorities of Mysore Zoo on the safe transportation of the 25 bison and Indian gaur from Mysuru to Shivamogga.

Since most of the bison and Indian Gaur were born inside Mysuru Zoo, they would not face acclimatisation problems. They are also facing extinction and so steps are being taken for their breeding too. The gate fee for the safari will be fixed in the coming weeks.