Bhitarkanika National Park reopens for visitors

Kendrapara: The Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapada district reopened for visitors on Sunday after remaining closed for nine days the counting of saltwater crocodiles.

The census was conducted in five ranges and carried out by teams comprising of Forest department personnel and experts.

On completion of the whole exercise, the national park reopened for the rest of the picnic season. With Makar Sankranti and other festivals coming ahead, tourist flow to Bhitarkanika is expected to witness an increase.

The National Park had been closed from January 5 to 13 for the annual bird and crocodile census exercise. The nine-day prohibition was imposed on tourists and locals to stop them from entering the forest area to avoid any untoward incident during the census.

Meanwhile, the count of crocodiles in Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has increased by 18. Last year, at least 1793 crocodiles were found in Bhitarkanika while the number has gone up to 1811 this year. This is certainly good news for wildlife lovers and activists in the state.

With the authorities opening the park for tourists, the forest department has also imposed a strict ban on the entry of plastic disposables in protected areas. Tourists have been asked not to carry polythene and litter plastic bottles and other items in the park area, sources said.