Bhitarkanika National Park reopens after break for breeding season

KENDRAPARA: After remaining out of bounds for tourists for three months during the breeding season of its famous saltwater crocodiles, Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district reopened today.

A three-month-long prohibition on entry of tourists and visitors to the wetland sites of the park had been enforced from May 1 to July 31 in view of the breeding season of the estuarine crocodiles, said Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

Human interference disturbs the breeding animals and the reptiles often turn violent and attack intruders during this period, thus necessitating the ban on tourists' entry, the official said.

The aim is to ensure the safety of humans and provide congenial environs for the breeding crocodiles, he added.

"The booking of tourists' cottages has begun. We are ready to play host to domestic and international tourists after a break. We receive about 50,000 tourists in a year," the official said.

It has been made mandatory for visitors to submit proof of identity for entry into the national park.

Directions have been issued to the operators to abide by the safety guidelines and those found to have not complied with the order would be barred from operating in the water- bodies within the national park, said Acharya.

The 145-sq.km Bhitarkanika National Park, with its vast expanse of mangrove cover and wetland spots, is an ideal ecotourism destination for camping, trekking and picnics.

The major attractions are its saltwater crocodiles along with resident and migrant avian species and huge varieties of mangrove species.

A boat journey along the mangrove-covered water bodies is a major attraction for tourists. On any given day, 350 to 400 tourists take the boat tours at the park.

Millions of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles also turn up at Gahirmatha beach every year for mass-nesting while as many as 1,644 crocodiles were enumerated in the park this year.