No phones, no tiger selfies: can Indias safari ban bring the focus back to the jungle?

The Supreme Court of India banned mobile phones for visitors during tiger safaris across all national parks, tiger reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries in India in Nov 2025. The Supreme Court of India acted following viral reels of vehicle congestion and overcrowding at animal sightings. Under the ban, guests must submit their phones to a locked box carried by the vehicle guide, while guides and drivers may keep their phones for emergency gate communication. Varun Taneja, Brand Head, Sublime Wilderness Odyssey, stated that the constant pursuit of photos and selfies with a tiger pressures drivers into risky driving. Juhi Jain, a New Delhi entrepreneur, welcomed the change, stating, I am finally seeing the jungle instead of recording it. Wildlife enthusiast Pradyumna Ravindra suggested that enforcing flight mode and fines would be better than an outright ban. The restriction does not apply to guides and drivers, leaving concerns that vehicle coordination for sightings could continue.