Kendrapada, Jul 29: Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapada district will reopen to tourists from August 1 following the end of its annual three-month closure during the saltwater crocodile breeding season, the Rajnagar Forest Division Officer announced.

The park remained closed from May 1 to July 31 as female estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles become highly protective and aggressive while guarding their nests along the creeks and riverbanks. The seasonal closure is enforced every year to ensure the safety of both visitors and wildlife.

With the breeding season ending on July 31, all tourism activities, including boat services, watch towers and entry gates, will resume normal operations from Friday. The reopening is expected to attract nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers eager to explore one of Odisha's premier eco-tourism destinations.

Bhitarkanika is renowned for its vast mangrove forests, rich biodiversity and one of India's largest populations of endangered saltwater crocodiles. The park draws thousands of domestic and international tourists every year.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department has completed its annual crocodile nest census across the Bhitarkanika waterways. The latest survey recorded 117 saltwater crocodile nests, with the Kanika Range accounting for 106 nests, the highest among all ranges.

Forest officials said the encouraging nesting figures indicate a healthy and stable breeding population of the endangered reptiles, reaffirming Bhitarkanika's status as one of the country's most important habitats for saltwater crocodiles.