Mysuru: Forest officials at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve have fined two bikers from Tamil Nadu Rs. 25,000 for illegally riding a motorcycle inside the safari zone.

The riders, identified as Devaradhan and Vijaykumar from Coimbatore, were let off after paying the penalty and submitting a written undertaking.

The incident occurred around 4.30 pm on July 18 when the duo entered the safari route from the Mudumalai forest side while travelling towards Ooty.

Mysuru resident Manjunath, who witnessed the incident, objected to their entry into the protected area, but the bikers allegedly ignored his warning and continued riding along the safari road.

Based on video footage of the incident, forest officials identified the motorcycle through its registration number and summoned the riders for questioning.

Appearing before Bandipur Tiger Reserve Director Nandeesh, the bikers admitted to taking the safari road. They told officials that they had entered the route by mistake and turned back after realising it was a restricted area.

Despite their explanation, officials imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 and obtained a written undertaking before releasing them.

After paying the penalty, the bikers expressed regret over the incident. “We accidentally entered the safari road while travelling towards Ooty. Once we realised it was prohibited, we fully cooperated with the Forest Department and paid the fine. We urge others not to repeat our mistake. Protecting wildlife is everyone’s responsibility and we should all support the Forest Department in its conservation efforts,” they said.