Shivamogga: Monsoon wildlife tourism in the Western Ghats has taken a “wrong path”, with environmental activists demanding an immediate and total ban on activities such as ‘herping’, ‘night trails’, ‘frog walks’ and ‘macro photography’.Environmental activist Nagaraj Koove alleged that such groups trespass into sensitive forest zones and streams at night using powerful flashlights and macro photography gear. This intrusion disrupts the natural behaviour of nocturnal wildlife, particularly during a delayed monsoon season when species are already vulnerable.Expressing concern, Koove said, “This year the monsoon has failed. The croaking of frogs is rare, and frog breeding has taken a massive hit. Now, a little rain has started. Wildlife tourism in Malnad is crossing all boundaries. There is a lack of necessary control, guidelines and supervision for it,” he said.“The forest department must completely ban wildlife attraction-based activities, including herping, night trails, frog walks and macro photography. These unauthorised activities, lacking any research, study or educational purpose, are only exploiting wildlife instead of creating awareness on conservation,” he stated.Promotional material on social media shows upcoming workshops such as ‘Herping Sirsi’ in late Aug and ‘Nature Tales Macro Photography’ at resorts in Chikkamagaluru and Agumbe in July and Aug.The complaint also alleges that some local homestays and resorts capture and confine reptile species such as the Malabar Pit Viper and Hump-nosed Pit Viper on their premises to ensure photo opportunities for tourists.Activists said participants in such high-priced workshops rarely speak out against large-scale environmental destruction or projects that affect wildlife corridors, thereby limiting their role in conservation to social media content.Chirag, a green activist with NGO Rain Land Trust, said the local forest department has failed to regulate weekend crowds, maintain visitor registers or verify permissions, allowing tour operators to violate wildlife protection laws.Responding to the allegations, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden Kumar Pushkar told TOI he has taken note of the matter and will verify the claims to initiate necessary action.
