[Rajjaiswal92]

The gypsy is the best suited for this application, light weight , 4 wheel drive , low on noise and has a great seating arrangement. Till the late 90’s and very early 2000’s tourists were allowed to take their private vehicles with a guide , then came the rule that no diesel powered vehicles would be allowed and finally an outright ban was imposed on all private vehicles.
In all my excursions to various national parks of central India i can honestly say i will always chose the gypsy.

[sagarpadaki]

EV's are best suited for Tiger Safari like Bandipur for 7+1 seater. The no noise EV's ensure that wildlife are not spooked off and there will be better possibilities of sightings. Also since these have one safari drive in the morning and one in the evening covering a total distance of less than 50 kms in a day, charging overnight or between the safari's is not a problem.

[xantia]

This has all the hallmarks of being a very engaging thread. A quick scroll to the bottom and I am hooked - parked for the weekend!

[Kosfactor]

The southern states are going to stick to diesel for the time being, mostly it will be some flavour of Mahindra 4x4. There are Gypsys too but not that many, they are also difficult to service when something breaks because the general population in such areas use only Mahindra UVs.

There are many reasons for it.

Familiarity, Rocky terrain where a diesel engine is an advantage coupled with the load carrying capacity of a vehicle like Bolero Camper or the old Major etc The largest population of elephants in the country keeps moving around in the forest among these three states KA, KL and TN, diesel 's noise can be put to good use as I have experienced several times.

EVs have one big issue - there is little to no power supply in forest areas, it's not even there for the farmers forget the forest department.

[fiat_tarun]

My safari vehicle at Kabini was an Isuzu V-Cross. We got the only Isuzu amongst all the other Boleros.

Shout out to all the Jungle Safari drivers as well. Our Isuzu driver could easily have competed in a rally stage they way he was driving. After spotting a Tiger on our way out we were getting late to leave the jungle before the cut off time and the way he drove back was truly amazing. Super vehicle control and smooth on that narrow path between trees, with no margin for an error.

[mbhalara]

As understood previously during verbal discussions with forest staff, vehicles allowed earlier were Petrol, and Electric (lately - especially buses in smaller sanctuaries). Diesel vehicles were not allowed previously due to pollution and noise reasons. Had observed this in:
- Gir Forest
- Kumbhalgarh Forest

However, recent additions in all forest vehicles are of Diesel. Hope it is mainly due to BS-6 compliant vehicles and not reducing the pollution requirements which may increase the pollution inside the forests.

[sach.sri]

Nice compilation of the safari vehicles.

As an avid Safari goer or taker (take your pick ) - this thread caught my attention and i enjoyed going through the thread.

I am not sure about OP's intention behind this thread - but i do think it has sparked at least a little bit of debate on the future of safari vehicles in India

As pointed out - typically we associate a gypsy with a safari vehicle in India. But with them going out of production, there is a big question on what will replace these gypsies that form a large majority of safari vehicles?

This is quite an important point which will have quite a lot of implications in my mind

1. The typical gypsy owner will not have the kind of moolah required to replace his / her fleet with brand new (& i am guessing way costlier options)

2. The gypsies have a stipulated service period which in the north indian forests is 5 yrs, now extended to 10 years --- so there will be gypsies going out of circulation pretty soon and the people will need a definite direction on the vehicles to purchase

3. This i think will have a big cost impact - that will get passed onto to us consumers, because of the inc. in the initial capital required as well as higher cost of running - i believe we are looking at the safaris getting much more costlier in coming years. Wildlife even today is an expensive hobby

#1 & #2 will probably mean a higher burden on the safari operators & #3 will probably mean reduction in wildlife tourism, which i think will add to the financial woes of the safari operator. It is a vicious circle

Dont know if my post made a lot of sense, but just wanted to point out something that has been in my mind.

[Dr.Suraj]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

Attachment 2536446

Force Motors has also just launched a special vehicle for the Forest Safari duties, it can seat 6 and has 2 rows of Air Conditioning along with 2 Sunroofs. This will be in the 6-8 passenger luxury category, I think.

Attachment 2536447

Link to the article:- https://www.rushlane.com/force-trax-...-12482736.html

Just yesterday, Monday morning, at 6 AM, I boarded an old but well-maintained Mahindra Commander jeep for a Jungle Safari in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

Old would be an understatement for what was essentially a 30-year-old vehicle, BS Stage II. It was definitely lovingly maintained but did not manage to cushion my back from incessant jerks over 4 hours and a few blows to my head from the exposed roll cage-esque rods.

While traversing through some of the foggy zones, my head was trying to recall the other 'choices.' I could vividly recall the different combinations of Maruti Gypsy Kings at Ranthambore, Jim Corbett, the Eicher canters and Tata Motors Yodha at Gir and Ernakulam, and a few other vehicles at Wildlife parks that I have visited over the years.

Just like the void left by the Gypsy in the Armed Forces line-up, there is a dearth of capable or rather apt vehicles for Jungle Safari.

The Jimny may be a capable off-roader but is too tiny for this task. Tata has no capable 4x4 SUV in its passenger vehicle category. The Yodha is a commercial vehicle that may be modified for the purpose but lacks creature comforts. Mahindra has a few good ones, and I can wish for a ScorpioN pick-up-based safari vehicle in the future. They may already have one in Africa.

But ... all of these vehicles are NOISY! The diesel grunt and torque come with a lot of clatter and gruffness.

Can we not use the famed EVs in these jungles? Best for the ecology!

The station where the safaris originate can host a big shed with a solar panel array. The buses and small trucks can return to the charging point after their shift - which is usually 3 to 4 hours over 80 to 120 km and a fair bit of idling. There is no requirement for an air-conditioner in most of these vehicles. Should a slow descent over rocky slopes provide some regeneration as well? Dual or quad electric motors will provide better traction and driveability.
No smoke. No fossil fuel. No vehicle heat.
Most importantly, the random cranking and rickety clatter of the engine would be welcomed by those whose homes we visit - the forest's animals!

I understand this might be a massive investment, but if EVs are supposed to be eco-friendly, then I feel they belong here - in the jungles - more than anywhere else. We are using BSII BSIII vehicles in these zones!

Happy to read this news today about the new Force Motors Ltd Trax-based Jungle Safari Jeep is at Tadoba! 20 Lakhs per jeep, but this looks cool. It has a Jaguar Land Rover India Discovery vibe to it and seems quite modern, too. Looking forward to a ride in one of these very, very soon.

[TejasKinger]

I've been a regular on Jungle Lodges and Resorts Safaris in and around almost all their properties in Karnataka.

The Mahindra Bolero has always been their mainstay since time immemorial and will perhaps continue to be (going by the number of unpainted cutaway Boleros in preparation) I noticed at their property the last time around.



However, they did acquire a few Tata Yodhas in between as well — but from my conversations with the drivers, they do not prefer these as they are highly unreliable and underpowered compared to the Bolero.



While I was there, I also noticed this fully kitted out Gypsy with a ton of Camera Gear.



Back in mid 2016, I had also been to Kenya - Masai Mara where we had this ancient but reliable 4x4 Nissan Urvan as our daily Safari ride

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by TejasKinger

Back in mid 2016, I had also been to Kenya - Masai Mara where we had this ancient but reliable 4x4 Nissan Urvan as our daily Safari ride

Yes in Kenya, Masai Mara, the Rangers use Gypsys. And safari tourists like us get those Nissan Vans or Big Land Cruisers or Land Rovers, depending on which Safari Company one engages with. We had this Toyota when we went there.

[Rajjaiswal92]

This can be a little out of topic but let me share it .
Since a lot has been talked about EV’s producing low to no sound , decades of safari vehicles producing sound from their ICE have made the tigers adapt to it , there have been documented events and even documentaries where tigers have used the sound of these vehicles to their advantage in hunting.
They have also used safari vechiles to hide behind them and startle their prey.
Apologies for going out of topic .

[A.K]

A very interesting thread! Adding my two cents, here's something I came across on Instagram the other day. A small outfit in Jaipur by the name Rajputana Jeeps is building a Jimny Safari car. Attaching an image below and a link to a reel too. Will be interesting to see how these turn out!

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

Attachment 2536446

Force Motors has also just launched a special vehicle for the Forest Safari duties, it can seat 6 and has 2 rows of Air Conditioning along with 2 Sunroofs. This will be in the 6-8 passenger luxury category, I think.

While that sounds great, why do you need a DRL in a vehicle that is designed for Forest Safari, don't you think it is going to create trouble than serving any real purpose

[AdityaDeane]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

While that sounds great, why do you need a DRL in a vehicle that is designed for Forest Safari, don't you think it is going to create trouble than serving any real purpose

I can think of 2 scenarios:-

1. Force didn't want to spend in developing a new headlamp cluster, and just used parts from their other cars.

2. DRLs can help in twilight situations inside a forest area, when you don't want to startle or expose the predator on a hunt, and still need some light to brighten up the scenario. As it is, some of the new vehicle OEM DRLs are very bright and powerful, even when used without dipper or headlamps.

But, these are my 2 cents, I am in no way an employee or spokesperson of the Force Motors brand. Just found the news, and put it is the relevant group, that is all.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

I can think of 2 scenarios:-

1. Force didn't want to spend in developing a new headlamp cluster, and just used parts from their other cars.

2. DRLs can help in twilight situations inside a forest area, when you don't want to startle or expose the predator on a hunt, and still need some light to brighten up the scenario. As it is, some of the new vehicle OEM DRLs are very bright and powerful, even when used without dipper or headlamps.

But, these are my 2 cents, I am in no way an employee or spokesperson of the Force Motors brand. Just found the news, and put it is the relevant group, that is all.

I agree to you view and most probably it will be Option 1 where they decided to reuse the existing design.

I am a fan of Force and will look forward for a Safari in one of these beasts with some luxury thrown in. Thanks for sharing this.