Kendrapada: Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district will reopen to tourists Saturday after a three-month closure for the annual saltwater crocodile nesting season, with authorities set to enforce a strict green protocol, including a complete ban on single-use plastics and polythene inside the protected area. The park, which remained closed from May 1 to July 31, will once again welcome day visitors and overnight guests at its cottages and forest rest houses, an official of the Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division said.
Authorities have urged tourists to book their visits in advance through the official eco-tourism portal. Accommodation is available at Dangama la, Agaranasi, Habalikothi, Gupti and Eakakula, all managed by the Forest Department. As part of the green protocol, visitors have been directed not to carry polythene bags, single-use plastic items or plastic bottles into the protected area. Littering has been strictly prohibited, and forest officials said the eco-friendly guidelines would be rigorously enforced to protect the fragile mangrove ecosystem. The park is closed every year during the crocodile nesting season to ensure a disturbance-free breeding period for the reptiles, which are known to become highly aggressive while guarding their nests.
The temporary closure also ensures the safety of visitors. Boat cruises through Bhitarkanika’s sprawling mangrove waterways remain the park’s biggest attraction, drawing around 350 to 400 tourists on a typical day. During the latest annual survey, forest personnel identified 117 saltwater crocodile nests in water bodies within Bhitarkanika National Park and adjoining river systems.
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