The national park remained closed for visitors for three months in view of the mass nesting of estuarine crocodiles
Kendrapara: The Bhitarkanika National Park is all set to reopen Wednesday for tourists and nature lovers after it remained closed for three months in view of the mass nesting of estuarine crocodiles.
The park was closed for visitors since May 1. The restrictions were enforced because human interference would disturb the breeding reptiles, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, DFO of Rajnagar mangrove (forest) and wildlife division. Crocodiles become violent during the period when they are guarding their eggs, he added.
Spread over 145 sqkm, the Bhitarkanika National Park is famous for its saltwater crocodiles, resident and migrant avian species and a huge variety of mangrove species.
More than 50,000 tourists visit the park every year. The major attraction at the park is boat ride. Any given day, around 400 tourists take the pleasure of boat ride in the mangrove-covered water bodies of the national park.
While private boats that do not have life jackets and other safety equipment for tourists are not allowed here, the forest department-owned boats and vessels are equipped with safety features.
“Arrangements have been made to reopen the park August 1. This year, we have made eight cottages operational at Dangamal for night halt,” divisional forest officer (DFO) of Rajnagar, Bimal Prasanna Acharya, said.
“Last year, we had identified 80 nesting sites of the estuarine crocodile inside Bhitarkanika. The number has gone up to 101 this year,” Acharya said.
Out of the 101 nests, 84 were spotted in Kanika forest range, 13 in Rajnagar forest range, three in Gahiramtha forest range and one nest was spotted in Mahakalapara forest range within the national park limits.
This year, the Nandankanan Zoological Park authorities have taken 40 estuarine crocodiles eggs from a wild nest at Thanapati creek under Kanika forest range to hatch them artificially in a bid to increase the crocodile population at the zoo in Bhubaneswar.
The Bhitarkanika forest personnel have also collected 40 crocodile eggs from wild nests as they were lying vulnerable. The eggs have been kept at the artificial hatchery at Dangamal-based Crocodile Breeding and Research Centre.
PNN
