In Brief
The Supreme Court examined illegal construction and tree-felling in Corbett Tiger Reserve and the legality of establishing a Tiger Safari at Pakhrau. The Court held that while Tiger Safaris for rehabilitating injured or orphaned tigers may be permitted in buffer zones under NTCA authority (not the Central Zoo Authority), the 2019 Guidelines allowing zoo-sourced animals are quashed as contrary to tiger conservation. The judgment extensively applied the public trust doctrine, holding that the State cannot alienate natural resources for commercial purposes. The Court directed environmental restoration of damages through an expert committee, with costs recovered from responsible officials, emphasizing ecocentric rather than anthropocentric principles and endorsing international ecological restitution standards.
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