Introduction

While doing jungle safaris in Madhya Pradesh tiger reserves, core and buffer zone terms are more prominently and frequently used. These terms are nothing but a way to manage the tiger reserves in such a way that it will not only gives protection to wild animals but also help in their conservation. Here management authority has divided the tiger reserve in to a circular layered areas with certain rules and regulations. This layered system is shown here. Here central part of the forest is recognized as core zone and it is surrounded by another layer called buffer zone. As per image, buffer zone encapsulates core zone forest area and avoids any direct connection of core zone forest to the outer world to ensure undisturbed environment to wild animals.

Features of Core Zone Forest

If we will study the tiger reserve management rules as per core forest and buffer forest areas, we will notice that core forest area has been given special status by using wildlife and conservation rules. These management rules makes it special and creates difference between core and buffer zones which ultimately results into safari experience of these two categories of forests.

• No Villages: Core forest area is free for presence of villages. If any village is existing, it wlll be very soon relocated. It is believed that core zone should be free for any kind of village or private house establishments. Here we can't find village houses but it is possible that we may see villagers or cattle during safari because at some points, safari track goes close to these buffer zone villages thus, due to absence of any boundary or fencing, villagers and cattle ofter enters into the core zone, for sometime.
• No Hotel: Many times tourists ask for hotel or resort at core zone forests as they are unaware of its rules. Practically we will not find any private hotel or resort inside core zone forest area. Here we can find buildings like patrol camps, rest house, animal camps. Tourists may take stay at these forest department rest house but they are very basic and here first right is for forest department team, researchers, scientists. Here forest department retains the right to cancel the existing booking if department people would like to take stay during official duty.
• Jeep Safaris: Yes jeep safaris are allowed in core zone forest with provision of closing the safari activity on some week-day for full-day or half-day period. In Madhya Pradesh, at present it is closed for Wednesday evening round. Full-day closure is on Diwali festival and Holi festival dates.
• Walking safaris: It can be permitted to tourists as per ground reality. At present, it is restricted due to persisting threat from big cats.
• Night safaris: Night patrol safari activity is not allowed in core zone forest.