A wildlife safari in Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park took an unexpected turn for one tourist after the guide’s behavior sparked outrage online. The visitor claimed that the guide slept through much of the safari, offered tobacco to tourists and even tried to litter the protected forest area.
User Rattan Dhillon shared the experience on X (formerly Twitter) writing: “Meet our guide for the day at Jim Corbett National Park and unfortunately he had to offer us this: tobacco. We even had to stop him from littering by throwing a packet on the ground.”
Dhillon said the guide dozed off for almost an hour during the safari, and when he woke up, he only commented that “venison tastes good.” There was no effort to share information about the park, wildlife or conservation, he claimed.
The post, which has crossed 2.4 million views, has drawn sharp reactions online. Many users expressed disappointment, calling the incident a “symptomatic problem for tourism in India”, while others defended their positive experiences with guides in Jim Corbett and other parks.
One user wrote: “Finding a real tour guide who can give us real insights is a rare find… For example Taj Mahal tour guides really don’t cost 100 ₹once with clients in 2012, it cost about 11k people with PhDs, but it opened my eyes to the amazing depth of knowledge and passion he showed us.”
Another user wrote: “Jim Corbett is a scam. There is absolutely nothing there, not even normal wild animals. The drivers and guides are least interested in tourists. They will keep saying it’s dense forest, that’s why you can’t see animals. Compare it with Ranthambore Tiger safari – professionalism at its best, the guide will try everything possible for tiger sightings.”
“Compared to guides in other countries of Europe or , Indian guides are second to none. Indian guides abuse tourists a lot. Sometimes their behavior is very rude,” wrote a third user.
Some have also suggested filing a complaint against the guide, saying most forest officials strictly follow the rules, including bans on littering and carrying plastic inside national parks.
Responding to the viral post, Saket Badola, field director of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, confirmed that an investigation had been launched. “Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention. Such behavior is unacceptable if true. An investigation has been initiated and the nature guide in question has been banned pending the completion of the investigation. Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings,” Badola said.
The incident has reignited debate about tourism standards and accountability in India’s protected wildlife reserves, where guides are often the first point of interaction for visitors seeking to understand conservation efforts.
