Kendrapara: After remaining out of bounds for visitors for three months, Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) in Kendrapara district reopened Thursday.
For the time being, tourists can visit the park during the daytime only. A decision regarding the night stay of tourists inside the park is yet to be taken.
A ban on tourists’ visits to the national park was imposed from May 1 till July 31. The ban was clamped due to the mating and breeding season of the endangered estuarine crocodiles.
In the meantime, the state witnessed a sharp increase in daily Covid-19 cases. Subsequently, the state government announced a lockdown from May 5 to check the spread of the virus.
Coincidentally, on the last day of the BNP’s visitor ban July 31, the government announced relaxations to Covid-induced partial lockdown, reopening of malls, cinema halls and parks.
Following the government order, the BNP authorities decided to reopen the gates of the famed sanctuary for the tourists starting August 5.
It may be mentioned here that each year, a 3-month ban is imposed on the visit of tourists to BNP during the mating and breeding season of crocodiles to give the reptiles a congenial environment and also to ensure the safety of visitors inside the park as the crocodiles are generally more ferocious during this season.
PNN