With the onset of the breeding season of estuarine crocodiles, the Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district will remain closed for visitors from three months from May 1, a forest official said.
Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya, said that the prohibition is being imposed to ensure the safety of humans and provide a congenial environment to the breeding crocodiles.
As per the census conducted in January this year, there are 1,698 estuarine crocodiles in the water bodies of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, officials said.
In view the commencement of the breeding season, the forest department is also giving priority to the safety of the locals, Acharya said.
Local residents need to remain watchful and vigilant and maontain a safe distance from crocodile-infested water-bodies, the DFO said.
Crocodiles are found straying from their habitats into water bodies in and around human settlements and man-crocodile conflict often reaches a flashpoint in peripheral villages of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary during this period, he said.