The Do's and Dont's at your destination

Once you are there, you should:

• Limit deforestation - make no open fires and discourage others from doing so. A small careless fire can destroy an entire forest.

• Where water is heated by scarce firewood, use as little as possible.

• Burn or bury paper and natural refuse and litter and carry out all non-degradable garbage like plastic bags, foil packets, glass bottles and metal cans - these should be recycled.

• Avoid carving your Initials on trees - they hurt too. Graffiti on rock - faces are marks of your polluting tendencies, for all to scorn.

• Keep local water clean and avoid using chemical detergents in streams or springs. If no toilet facilities are available, make sure you are at least 30 meters away from water sources and bury wastes.

• Plants should be left to flourish in their native location - taking cuttings and roots is illegal in Nature reserves.

• Avoid making loud noises and playing radios or tape-recorders in wildlife areas. Remember - unnatural sounds and natural wonders do not mix.

• Avoid offering food to animals & birds - you are threatening their foraging / hunting skills and your food will probably make them sick.

• If you see anyone hunting or hurting / teasing birds or animals, report them to the authorities if you cannot stop them yourself.

• Stop people from plucking flowers or leaves. They should be left as they are - for all to enjoy.

• While taking photographs or shooting your video-camera is always encouraged, please do not disturb your subject in any way. Remember that use of flash guns, particularly close up, can disturb and annoy wild animals and nesting birds.

Do's and Dont's for the TIGER SHOW

Do's

Get film and lenses ready in advance while you are waiting to board the elephant. Take extra film, you may need it!

Obey the mahout's instructions about where to sit on the howdah. It is important that the load be balanced.

Appreciate the jungle as you ride to the location of the tiger. You are seeing the forest in a way that is quite unlike riding down a park road.

Protect your eyes, spectacles and equipment when you are riding through thick jungle. The bamboo can give you some nasty jabs if you are not careful.

Be prepared for the tiger to move at any time. If it does, your elephant will probably stay with it. The tiger show will develop an entirely different rhythm, so hold on!

Remain seated at all times, and make sure that small children are secure.

Dont's

Expect that there will be a tiger show every day. The mahouts are successful at their tracking only about 60% of the time.

Try to get your vehicle driver to jump the queue.

Try to persuade the mahout to disturb the tiger in any way.

Stand on howdah or unhook the bar.

Make loud noise or use flash photography.