The famous Similipal National Park has been shut down for visitors for unspecified time due to unseasonal rain and dense fog in the region in the wake of a low pressure over south Andaman sea.
The restriction has come into immediate effect from today i.e. November 15 till further order, informed Similipal National Park Deputy Director Sai Kiran D.N.
The move comes as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident in the park especially for a large number of tourists who throng the national park during the winter season.
The authorities said that most trails in the park have become slushy under the impact of rainfall for last few days and thick blanket of fog engulfing the national park could become dangerous for the travelers or safari, so it has been decided to keep visitors away from the biosphere reserve.
Even though the park officials have not specified any timeframe on its reopening, sources said that if situation permits, it may also reopen in a day or two once weather improves.
Spanned on an area over 2,750 square kilometre, Similipal National Park which also comprises the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district is billed as Asia's second-largest biosphere reserve.
Boasting a rich population of tigers and elephants, the park is home to over a thousand species of plants and hundreds of species of fauna.
It was reopened for tourists from November 1 after 6 months of closure in view of Monsoon and Covid cases.