Baripada: Authorities of the Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district closed the sanctuary for tourists from Thursday following the onset of monsoon, an official said.
The national park will remain closed till the end of October, Similipal Tiger Reserve field director T Ashok Kumar said.
The entry of tourists to the reserve forest is prohibited from mid-June to the October-end every year during the rainy season as road connectivity to various locations inside the sanctuary gets disrupted, he said.
Considered as a major tourist destination of Odisha, the national park will reopen from the first week of November, he said.
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Located in the northern part of Odisha adjoining Jharkhand, the sanctuary is considered as a natural heritage with various flora and fauna and wildlife.
The national park came to limelight when a black rare melanistic tiger was sighted as cameras were installed to track the big cats inside the core area of the sanctuary.
Tourists from across the country and abroad visit the sanctuary every year to have a glimpse of picturesque nature, waterfalls, orchids, birds, carnivorous and herbivorous animals along with reptiles.
PTI