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Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Ultimate Rules of Jungle for Wildlife Tours

jungle safari dos and dont's

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Your Ultimate Guide to an Unforgettable Adventure

Many years ago we used to watch pictures of wild animals posted by our friends from different parts of the world and often wondered if we would enjoy watching the animal kingdom in its natural habitat. Almost always the focus of them was to look for a particular animal in that region. As if, the other habitants don’t matter at all.

Rules of Jungle

When we went to our first ever, a week-long wildlife trip to a national park, I was a bit apprehensive. We were pushed by our friends, both offline & online, to look for the most ‘wanted’ animal on such Safaris, a tiger, a lion, or a cheetah, or to go for bird watching or to do this activity or that.
We tried to explain to them. It’s not in our hands to control the movements of inhabitants of the forest. It is a whole different world out there.

Can you really isolate one and just look for a particular other? Can you ask a monkey not to jump from one tree to another while you aim to shoot a Black Drongo half hidden in the same branch? Can you request a leopard to come closer so that you can have a better look at his spots? How can you ignore a Sambhar deer looking at you curiously when your eyes search for a tiger?

Your trip to the jungle could be fun, if you just surrender yourself to the beauty. Even though you know how to deal with it, you have no idea what to expect there in the jungle. These things are not in our hands.

Sambhar deer in Kanha @www.lemonicks.com jungle safari dos and don'ts guide
Sambhar deer is all ears…

But there are certain other things which we can and should control.

The first and foremost precaution that everyone should keep in mind, is to not to become a victim of an animal attack.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Always follow the instructions

Always, always make sure to follow the instruction given by your guides, behave according to the communicated tourism guidelines to you. The naturalists and guides know more about the wildlife and animals than you and me.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Game of Patience

Game of patience- It’s a game of patience out there in jungle. It tests your limits. You have to wait for hours to get a glimpse of a particular animal. If you do not have it, you’d probably be spending your valuable time elsewhere. We waited for more than two hours in our jeep before we could spot a tiger. Let me claim here … I was extremely fortunate to see it on my first day itself. I know of people who have done 6-7 safaris without any success.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Not a Zoo

Not a Zoo- Wildlife reserve is not a zoo where you can find all animals and birds lined together waiting for you for a photo shoot. It is open and it is their natural habitat. Do not, in any way, get disappointed or curse your guide, naturalist for not showing a tiger or a cheetah to you. Don’t force them; it’s not in their hands too. If you are lucky, you’ll definitely spot one. If that is all you want to see, you are not made for the wildlife.

Checkered Keelback snake in Kanha national park @www.lemonicks.com Jungle Safari dos and don'ts guide
Checkered Keelback snake, came to surface for breathing.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Dress Code

Best Safari practices also include tips for best clothing for Safari. In order to not to disturb the animals, you should try to blend in with your surroundings in the wild, especially for walking tours. It is always suggested to wear camouflaged clothes or neutral colors i.e. dark earthen colors like brown, green, beige, black etc. Refrain from wearing red, pink, white etc.

Also, avoid using perfumes. You are going into a jungle, not to a party! Animals do not appreciate Chanel, Armani etc & may get agitated. It’s time to have a look at your Safari Wardrobe essentials. 🙂

Most of the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have some more jungle rules, especially as night safari precautions. 😛

Also Read: Reasons to Fall in Love with Kuno National Park

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Not a picnic place

Jungle is not a picnic place. I saw our naturalist stopping the vehicle the moment he noticed a small shining candy wrapper, chips bag or a plastic bottle anywhere. The people out there (staff of forest dept, guides & naturalists), are really taking care of the wildlife. Do not make life difficult for them. There are specific meal zones marked for eating purpose and your driver will definitely take you there during breaks. You can eat & re-freshen yourself then.

jungle safari dos and dont's

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Avoid carrying strong smelling food

Jungle is not your place of habitat. If you happen to camp around wildlife sanctuary or national park, keep in mind not to carry or cook strong smelling food. It can attract animals to you. Try to bring packed non-smelly food.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Don’t step out of Your Safari Jeep/Car

Anywhere in the world, if you go on a wildlife safari, you’ll be strictly instructed to stay on your jeep. The foremost reason for this rule of jungle is, animals are used to the sight of people quietly sitting in a vehicle. The moment you are out of your vehicle, you’re making them feel threatened and to save themselves they may attack you.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Do not feed animals

Sometimes we get so excited to see friendly animals that we think it is our duty to offer them food. No! A big no. This can turn out to be the biggest mistake that one can do on a wildlife tours. Also, do not throw your remaining food inside the jungle. Because of this reason, the animals develop a habit of expecting or looking for food from the tourists when they can’t catch a prey and are starving.

Also because of this habit, the animals lose their natural skills of hunting for their prey or food which results in hampering their survival instinct in long run.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: More than a tiger or a cheetah

Wildlife is not only about a tiger or a cheetah. Enjoy the forest and its sounds, feel the ambience rather than chasing that elusive wild cat. We saw two tigers on the first day of first safari itself, we could have moved on to next destination. But we continued to go to the same jungle for next few days to see & enjoy the other species of fauna. We saw Sambhar deer, barking deer, Indian Gaur or the Indian Bison, wild boars, elephant, monkeys, snakes, spotted deer and so many varieties of birds.

Tiger in Kanha @www.lemonicks.com
Face to face with His Highness !!!

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Avoid Close Encounters

Remember you are in wildlife safari, and not in a zoo. Here, the calmest looking animal can turn violent if you go very close to them. Not only a tiger, lion, or a cheetah but an elephant, giraffe, zebra, even an Ostrich can harm you when it feels threatened. So you need to maintain a safe distance and better to avoid the close wildlife encounters.

Some people go close to these animals for a better closeup shot. Stay away from them, would be our sincere advice. These animals can be more violent and furious than you could ever think of.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Silence is the Key

jungle safari dos and don'ts: keep silence

Keep silence- One of the main reasons why animals attack human is because the animals feel frightened when they hear some noise. Your any kind of emotions (excitement or fear) scare the animals and the wild being has no other option than to attack.

In the silence, we can hear the whispers of our soul. We have seen people coming in large groups with infants, toddlers and young children who were still asleep in their parents’ laps. How on earth can you, as a parent, torture your kid to wake up at 4:30 AM in winters to visit a jungle ? Of course, there are exceptions, but the majority of them will not like sitting in one place without any interesting thing happening.

On one occasion, when occupants of a jeep were waiting patiently, a child got off the vehicle & started walking in the jungle (Getting off the vehicle is strictly prohibited). The driver got down hurriedly to bring him back, by then another child honked the horn !! And then the youngest one, who was fast asleep, started crying in full volume. 🙂

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Keep Flashlight of Your Camera and Mobile Phone off

While we are talking of silence, switch off the mobile phones please.

More than the animals, the camera flashlight can be dangerous to you on wildlife tours ! Even on night safaris, one of the night safari tips is to switch off the flashlight. A flashlight frights the wild animal, it feels threatened and it may attack you. From a family friendly safari it should not become a dangerous animal safari for you! 😀

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Don’t Go Off the Way Adventure

When you go on wildlife tours anywhere in the world, whether it is a zoo, national park or a sanctuary, make sure to follow and stick to the given route. Do not ever go off the way in search of a better sighting or a better glimpse of wild animals. Do not believe in hearsay. Moving on your own or drifting from the official route might lead to getting lost, animal attack, or any other mishap.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Stay in Groups

A large number of cases of animal attacks happen when you drift away from your group. The animals may or may not be big sized or heavy creatures. But you must understand that you’re at risk of being attacked. The wildlife safari guidelines always tell you to stay in the group. Do not ever take it casually. Adhere to this very important Safari etiquette tip. You must remember that you’re expected to at least abide by the rules of jungle.

Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Don’t do Anything during an Animal Encounter

One of the responsible safari habits is that, if you see any wild animal sitting on the road or crossing the road, stop then and there. They might be with their family and provoking them in any manner may turn out to be fatal for you. The bigger animals such as elephant, lion, even a rhino can attack you in no time.

Do you have any other points to take care of?
Please write in comments and we’ll add to the post.

FAQs on Jungle Safari

What clothing should I wear on a jungle safari?

You should wear dark earthen colors like brown, green, beige, black etc. Avoid wearing red, pink, white etc. You can also wear camouflaged clothes. This is the first point to take care about, for dos and don’ts of jungle safari.

Are night safaris safe for tourists?

Night safaris are very safe. Your guide will not take you anywhere where there is a chance of danger, irrespective of day or night.

What photography gear is recommended for jungle safaris?

Serious photographers will take extra lenses with their cameras with multiple setting options to get the perfect safari photo on any wildlife tour. Mirror-less cameras are the best at present. The novice people need not buy an expensive camera just for one trip, they can carry whatever they have.  

What is the best time to do jungle safari?

Different national parks have different time zones. For example, from October through June, is the best climate for tiger safari at Kanha National park while October to February is considered the ideal time for Bandipur National Park for animal sighting. Before booking your wildlife trip, kindly find out the best and ideal time to visit it. Similarly, Kenya, Tanzania and other places will have different ideal times for animal sightings.

How can I ensure wildlife safety during a jungle expedition?

Keep calm and slowly move away from the animal, but do not turn your back on it. If the animal charges upon you, stand your ground and make loud noises to intimidate it. Avoid sudden movements and maintain a safe distance from the animals. This is one of the rules of jungle.

Are there budget-friendly jungle safari options?

Yes. In India and abroad there are plenty of budget friendly options for wildlife safaris. You may also want to book your stay separately from the safaris to suit your budget.

What are the dos and don’ts of solo jungle expeditions?

Best would be to hire a good guide if you’re on a solo jungle expedition. That will solve a lot of problems. If you’re planning a solo safari (in some places it is allowed to take private vehicles) then better to carry a map, power bank, water and follow all the rules mentioned above.  

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P.S.- This article, Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Your Ultimate Guide to an Unforgettable Adventure, belongs to Le Monde, the Poetic Travels, one of the top Indian Travel Blogs, published by the traveling couple bloggers, Nisha & Vasudevan. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. If you are viewing this on another website other than the RSS feed reader or www.lemonicks.com itself, then that website is guilty of stealing our content. Kindly do us a favour by letting us know via Contact Us. Thank you.

35 thoughts on “Jungle Safari Dos and Don’ts: Ultimate Rules of Jungle for Wildlife Tours”

  1. Lucky you spotted the tiger as well as a snake…in all my N number of jungle visits I have spotted a snake only twice…

    The first picture with Golden light is work of Art…

  2. Very nice post. I guess I fall under the ‘terrible parents’ category coz even I wake my 2-year old son at 4.30 am for safaris and our regular birding trips! We cant leave him behind. Trust me, all is well when they are sleeping 🙂 I remember how much I had freaked out when we had to share a vehicle with other families on a jungle safari. I kept on praying the whole way that the baby should not wake up and bawl!

  3. I really like the rules and yes we should respect them. Also, there is much more than spotting a tiger in Safari, however, i realized this fact only after few visits. Initially, my only aim was to see tiger but after spotting it once, i am not that desperate though i love the excitement of watching tiger.

  4. Beautiful, Fantastic Photos. Very happy after watching his highness.
    Photographs rewind memory when I was at Ranthambhore Park, Rajasthan.
    Thanks for sharing great photos. Keep traveling, Keep writing..

  5. A visit to a jungle should be only to appreciate the beauty of the jungle. Any ‘sightings’ are only a bonus. Not many of us notice, but a lot of plans and flowers are extremely beautiful too…

  6. All very good tips. I went on a safari in Kenya when I was 12. I think I was old enough to appreciate it. As you say it needs patience. Animals don’t appear in front of you when you want them too. It is important to respect the jungle. It is their home after all not yours.

  7. Great written post and very good tips. Never been on a safari and hope to do one soon. I am a patient person so this will be my ideal sort of trip. Lets go to the JUNGLE! 😀

  8. You got incredible photos from the jungle, and thankyou for highlighting that visiting nature preserves, safaris and national parks etc is not a zoo! It amazes and appalls me the ignorance of some tourists who travel for a wild, authentic encounter and then expect the animals to “perform” for you, or jump out of their truck to take a selfie and then wonder why they were attacked!

  9. Absolutely wonderful post Nisha. You guys were certainly lucky to see Tigers on the first day itself, but it’s really nice that you stayed back to explore the jungle even more. That’s the true spirit of travel 🙂

  10. Great photos – watching wildlife in their natural habitat is (in my opinion) the best way to see them. I was on Safari in Africa for 6 weeks last year and after that I said I would never go to a zoo again.

  11. Kanha national park is on our bucket list! Glad to know that you had such a great time! The checkered keelback snake shot looks great! What a moment to capture. Will keep Pugdundee safaris in mind for our visit.

  12. My first wildlife ‘safari’ was in Sri Lanka many years ago and it was unbelievably thrilling. Thank you for outlining cautions, how to behave and how much care goes into the treks. Great pictures too!

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