India’s tiger safari rules are changing after the country’s Supreme Court ordered new restrictions on tourism in tiger reserves, including a ban on mobile phone use within tourism zones of core tiger habitats. The order, issued on November 17, 2025, says mobile phones “should not be permitted” in those core reserve tourism zones and directs authorities to keep ecotourism from turning into mass tourism. The change affects travelers planning tiger-focused safaris in India, where individual reserves have begun issuing local instructions in line with the court order.
Corbett Tiger Reserve has published an official notice requiring visitors to deposit phones before safari entry, while The Times of India reported that Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve has also moved to enforce a mobile phone ban in its core safari zones. The rule does not create one identical process at every reserve, so travelers should check entry requirements before arrival.
India Restricts Mobile Phones In Core Tiger Safari Zones
The Supreme Court order says the “use of mobile phones within tourism zones of the core habitat of tiger reserves should not be permitted.” The same order directs tiger reserves to enforce vehicle carrying capacity limits, ban night tourism, follow the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s ecotourism guidelines, and adopt stronger management rules around tiger habitats. The court also called for tiger reserves and eco-sensitive zones to be notified as silence zones under India’s noise rules.
Corbett Tiger Reserve now says mobile phone use is fully prohibited in its tourism zones. Tourists who bring phones for day safaris must deposit them at locker facilities at the gate. Visitors staying overnight in forest rest houses must leave phones at their accommodations before entering the safari area. The notice applies to tourists, guides, drivers, and staff.
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve has also moved to enforce the restriction. Rajasthan forest officials imposed the mobile phone ban across Ranthambhore’s core safari zones and applied it to tourists, guides, naturalists, and safari vehicle drivers. Travelers should check the rules for their specific reserve before booking or arriving at the gate.
Some reserves may use lockers, while others may require phones to remain at lodges, hotels, or designated storage areas. Camera rules may also vary by park. Visitors should confirm photography fees, equipment permissions, and entry procedures with the reserve or their safari operator.
The Rule Targets Crowding, Wildlife Stress, And Safer Safari Management
The phone ban comes as India continues to balance wildlife tourism and tiger conservation. India’s official tiger estimate placed the country’s tiger population at 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018. India’s Press Information Bureau said the country is home to almost 75 percent of the world’s wild tiger population, making its tiger reserves central to global conservation efforts.
The Supreme Court’s order frames the new restrictions as part of a wider shift toward responsible tourism. It says ecotourism in tiger reserves must follow conservation rules and cannot resemble mass tourism. The order also calls for zero-waste practices, stronger controls on development near tiger corridors, restrictions on road traffic through core and critical tiger habitats, and clearer planning duties for state authorities.
Mobile phones have become a specific concern as they can affect behavior during wildlife sightings. When visitors film, take selfies, share locations, or discuss tiger movements during a safari, sightings can attract more attention and increase crowding around animals.
Anyone planning a tiger safari in India should treat mobile phone access as restricted in core tiger reserve tourism zones and confirm local rules before departure. The court order sets the national direction, while individual reserves decide how visitors must store phones, what checks apply at entry points, and which camera rules remain in place.
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