At a time when the Rajasthan tourist department is promoting wildlife tourism, over 200 tourists on Saturday suffered a rude shock at the Sariska Tiger Reserve when they were not allowed to enter the reserve by protesting Gypsy owners. A few protesters also misbehaved with the tourists, police said.

The Gypsy owners were protesting against the plying of canters in the reserve, and asked the tourists to vacate the vehicles. The situation took an ugly turn, when a few of them punctured the tyres and thrashed the canter drivers. The hassled tourists soon left the spot. The canter owners, in turn, suspended their service till police took action the guilty as per a report in TOI by Rajendra Singh.

The feud between the Gypsy and canter owners left the tourists stranded. "I paid a hefty amount for a weekend package at Sariska. My first day is wasted as we remained in the hotel room due to this problem," said Parveen Chaudhary, a Gurgaon-based banker.

Some who had come to Sariska for a day left dejected. "I am disappointed by the way the administration failed to take corrective measures. I am leaving without even entering the reserve," said Karamveer Singh, a call centre employee who had come along with his friends from Delhi.

The administration, however, claimed it made adequate arrangements to ensure the tourists don't miss out on the safari. "The Gypsies were arranged from hotels and forest department to make sure no one leaves Sariska without being on a safari," a reserve official insisted.

The Gypsy owners had been angry over the introduction of canters in the park last year. In little time, canters became extremely popular with tourists, with most opting for these over gypsies. The canter rides are cheaper and can accommodate more people than Gypsies.

Sources said despite similar incidents occurring in the past, the administration failed to address the issue. "Few incidents took place last season but the administration didn't bother to intervene," a reserve official said.

Meanwhile, chief forest officer RS Shekawat has filed a police complaint against Gypsy owners for causing inconvenience to tourist. He accused them of trying to force their monopoly by threatening canters owners to stop plying in the reserve.

"Strict action will be taken against the offenders. Our teams will try to ensure that tourists do not face similar difficulties during their stay here," a police officer said.