Bhitarkanika National Park reopens for tourists after crocodile census

After remaining outof bounds for tourists for over a week, the BhitarkanikaNational Park and its scenic wetland sites in Kendraparadistrict reopened on Sunday, a senior forest official said.

The national park was closed for visitors from January15 to January 23 for the annual census of estuarinecrocodiles.

''Restrictions were imposed on visitors to preventnoise pollution during the headcount of the reptiles inBhitarkanika,'' the Divisional Forest Officer, RajnagarMangrove Forest Division (Wildlife), Bikash Ranjan Dash, said.

The purpose was to keep the place free from humaninterference for carrying out the census meticulously, hesaid.

Sound pollution following human activity distractswildlife and hinders a foolproof census exercise, Dash said.

''We are ready to play host to domestic andinternational tourists after a nine-day break. We receiveabout one lakh tourists in a year.

''Our emphasis is on ensuring safe and comfortablesojourn of visitors who throng here in large numbers to savourthe warmth of the ecosystem and unique environs of itswetlands,'' the forest officer said.

It has been made mandatory that visitors must submitidentity proofs to get entry permits to the national park, headded.

The national park has 70 per cent of the country'sestuarine or saltwater crocodiles, the conservation of whichwas started in 1975.

On Sunday, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhanvisited the national park along with state governmentofficials.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)