Have Endorsed Vehicle Will Travel

In the Review Dawn,July 5 2007, there is a clear and concise article, "All about parks".It distinguishes between different parks. Mainly-those for conservation of nature and those other parks purely for recreation of the public. For the latter it states, “In the parks that are recreational, basic public infrastructure or facilities like concrete roads or pavements ,……..are present.”Whereas the Conservation –oriented parks are different. “In national parks, all sorts of disturbances,………………are strictly prohibited.” “These are large representative areas which are owned by government and set aside to maintain wilderness landscape ecosystem………” “the wildlife parks are also owned by the government and set aside for the rehabilitation of the endangered wildlife species under semi-natural conditions.” It ends on an optimistic note “Recreation in these parks is based on ecological concept and approach on part of general masses that promote environment –friendly tourism.”
I would like to say, even in the urban areas recreation parks are divided further. One sort, caters to the few “physic al” conscious urban elite, and the other to the common masses who turn up in crowds of families especially on holidays.
As for setting aside the parks to maintain wilderness landscape eco-system, let me tell you these parks will be set aside for all times to come, in all their pristine wilderness glory, with no tourist traffic to disturb them,in Pakistan. Thanks to 9/11 there is a Tourist gloom. The only foreign tourists coming here will be a few intrepid venture seekers. Some WWf or IUCN workers may keep coming and going. Of course our forest officials will be there. The poachers will have a field day or rather a forest day and they shall be happy.
As for the upper class forming domestic tourism…… Forget it! Mostly and most probably they have better things to do,(according to them) and their offspring are contributing to the “metrosexual image” in the latest fashionable sense. Lesser than them,they have a la-di-dah style;the dad may just be hosting a shooting party guns not camera, with lavish dinner afterwards. And their offspring too are just not the outdoor girl and boy type. The upper middle class, is just keeping up with the joneses. The mothers would rather go to an old familiar holiday resort,and they can pack a one day outing food hamper very well;orstay for a month, in a home-away-from –home holiday rental. Their offspring are busy emulating the metrosexual trend setters. The venturous few indulge in sports like the fast car rally, into the deserts and back. They wouldn’ t care to develop domestic tourism, forest creature friendly. Now we come to schools and colleges. Well perhaps some hope, though not too much.What about biology Enthusiasts.Very few have a bonafide interest in biology.The others are bookworms and use biology as a diving board to get admission into Medicine colleges.
What about common folk. They love outings. They are the ones who flock to the Zoos.They love wildlife and nature.As soon as they hit the gardens, the children are all over the place, traipsing over blades of grass.Climbing trees.Plucking raw fruits,making parrots leave, shrieking expletives seemingly.Bold little ones almost stick their heads into the cages. Our culture does not have safety on its agenda. The little one is staring into the great lion’ s face, when he is suddenly slapped by the-lion!!!!! No by his white shuttle-cock burka-ite mother, but he is so stunned he cannot separate the mother from the lion in his reverie. Do you think such a crowd would form domestic tourist potential? Possible. If rates are cheap and transport easily available. To have the domestic tourist, tour the Wildlife areas, a basic minimum is required. Otherwise our socio-cultural and even religious background does not allow much for a domesticated mother with her brood to enjoy, like her western counterpart;acamping life or an outing away from her house in a deep forest, for a few days even. Coming back to the basic minimum- it is just that good roads are a must. Each Wildlife sanctuary ought to be accessible by good roads on as many sides as possible; roads that connect directly to the small towns and important village groups, surrounding the wildlife sanctuary. This may bring a sizable domestic tourist traffic especially on weekends,In the near big towns of the province specific sightseeing coasters should ply to bring educated urban domestic tourists, to the wildlife sanctuaries.
If anyone wants to “escape” from providing good roads, by saying the WLS is a nucleolus inside another big Conservation –oriented park,then he must consider the next best thing to do. Make all access points upto the perimeters of the conservation –oriented park. Inside, keep bullock carts to reach the nucleolus. On urban roads I have seen camels and donkeys, besides ponies, and freedom loving hi-tailin’ cows. So why not in the wilderness , where they belong naturally? We are hearing a great deal these days about creating jobs. So why not in the “NON Recreational Parks” where they are needed?
If despite all this, we are not able to attract International tourist either, to that degree, nor our domestic; then here is hoping the camera would do the trick. Each and every WLS in all its detail, be captured by the camera, in lieu of a tourist viewing it. And then we hope to see our tourist department make capital out of selling CDs and videos. Then we can indulge in armchair travel of all our beautiful Wildlife sanctuaries, and we will not disturb their quiet, enthralling splendour, even a bit !!