Tourists are now going bear-spotting on wildlife safaris in a scenic wilderness where Kashmiri rebels and Indian troops used to exchange deadly gunfire.

The start of safaris in Dachigam National Park follows a big drop in insurgency-related violence in the spectacularly beautiful region of grasslands and rocky outcrops, wildlife officials say.

The safari trips through dense forest - the scene of intense gunbattles in the past - in eco-friendly battery-driven cars give visitors a chance to observe nature close-up.

"We spotted a bear basking in the sun. I"ll always remember that," said Mukesh Kumar, a tourist from India's commercial hub Mumbai.

"It's a lifetime experience," added Imtiaz Hussain, a local Kashmiri, who was here with his wife and sister, and also spotted a huge black bear.

The wildlife department charges 500 rupees (10.50 dollars) a car to carry a maximum of four people through the Dachigam wildlife sanctuary, a half-hour car drive from the summer capital Srinagar.

The safaris, launched in June, are part of a push by the state government to revive tourism in the region, dubbed the "Switzerland of the East" for its snow-capped peaks, fast-running rivers and verdant valleys.

'The sanctuary is absolutely safe. We are there to take care of the visitors," said paramilitary officer Daya Nath, whose troops have built bunkers at key lookout points to keep visitors safe from militants.

There has not been any violence in the wildlife zone for the past three years, military officials say.

The sanctuary, which sprawls over an area of 140 square kilometres (54 square miles), is home to endangered red deer, black and brown bears, musk deer, leopards and large bird species such as black partridge and pheasants.

It is located in the mighty western Himalayas with terrain ranging from gently sloping grasslands and pine-clad hills to sheer cliffs.

"We are taking tourists right into the lap of the nature," said Dachigam wildlife warden Rashid Naqash who helps run the safaris.

The drive through the park takes over an hour. Tourists observe the animals from their cars.

"The visitors are enjoying the rides. They've been spotting bears and deer roaming in the wild," Naqash said.

Before boarding the cars, the wildlife officials brief the visitors about important "dos" and "don'ts'.

"Don't try to go too close to the animals and never come out of the car without your guide. Your guide knows fully how to take care of you," Nazir Malik, a guide from the wildlife department, tells visitors.

The Yamaha-built open battery cars move noiselessly and slowly through tunnels created by hanging tree branches to which Himalayan grey langur monkeys sometimes cling.

While the insurgency has killed tens of thousands in Kashmir, animals have flourished after locals were ordered to hand in their guns as part of efforts to quell the revolt.

"The hunters shunned forests as they feared they might be mistaken for militants and killed by the troops," Naqash said.

The safaris in Dachigam will serve as a pilot project for similar ventures elsewhere in the state, Naqash said. The tourism department also plans to set up campsites and arrange treks in Dachigam to draw new tourists.

The insurgency, launched in 1989, has left more than 47,000 people dead according to the official count. Rights groups put the number of dead and missing at 70,000.

But militants have been cleared of Dachigam, the Indian army says. Overall in the state, the number of insurgency-related deaths has fallen to one daily from a peak of 10 in 2001.

The fall in violence comes against the backdrop of a slow-moving peace process between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to settle the future of the disputed region, held in part and claimed fully by both.