Baripada: With the monsoon retreating from Odisha after an extended stay, Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district reopened for visitors on Saturday, kicking off the tourist season.
Similipal resumed operations later than usual this year because of extended rainfall that delayed road repairs and preparations inside the park.
According to Similipal field director Prakash Chand Gogineni, visitors will be able to enter the park from two points – Kalikaprasad gate in Jashipur area and Pithabata gate in Baripada.
A maximum of 60 four-wheelers will be allowed on a day, with 35 vehicles entering the park via Kalikaprasad gate and 25 through Pithabata gate. Vehicles must have a ground clearance of 180mm or more. Tourists in private vehicles will be allowed to enter the reserve between 8 am and 9 am, and they must exit before 6 pm, said Gogineni.
Additionally, tourists will have to give a written undertaking to adhere to the rules. “Violation of any rule will attract punishment under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,” he said.
Those visiting the reserve have to leave Joranda and Barehipani waterfalls before 4 pm. “Identity proof for all tourists has been made mandatory and a guide has to accompany every vehicle in the reserve,” he added.
Visitors can book accommodation facilities and also the wildlife safari vehicles by visiting www.ecotourodisha.com and www.similipal.org.
The STR, the fourth largest reserve in the country and the only one in the world to house melanistic tigers was declared a National Park in April this year. It was closed since July 1 with the onset of monsoon in the state. However, eco-tourism sites like Jamuani, Gudagudia, Kumari, Barehipani, and Ramatritha were kept open for tourists. On an average, around 40,000 tourists visit the park annually.
