Kaziranga shuts gates for monsoon

way2barak May 29: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve closed its gates to tourists, marking the end of the current tourism season as authorities prepare for the monsoon period, when large parts of the park become inaccessible.

The final jeep safari of the season will conclude on May 28, bringing to a close another successful tourism year for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which recorded a surge in visitor footfall this season.

Speaking about the closure, Arun Vignesh, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, said the decision was taken in view of the onset of heavy rainfall and deteriorating road conditions inside the park.

“May 28 will be the final day of jeep safaris for this tourism season, and from tomorrow Kaziranga will remain closed to tourists. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the rainfall situation and the condition of roads inside and outside the national park. During the monsoon season, many areas become inaccessible due to flooding,” the DFO said.

Kaziranga, globally known for its population of the one-horned rhinoceros, witnessed a remarkable rise in tourist arrivals this year.

According to officials, more than 4.7 lakh tourists visited the park during the season, including a significant increase in foreign visitors.

“This year has been extremely encouraging for tourism in Kaziranga. More than 4.7 lakh tourists visited the park, and the number of foreign tourists also increased significantly. Various promotional and publicity-related activities helped attract more visitors to Kaziranga,” Vignesh said.

Officials believe improved wildlife sightings across different ranges of the park also played a major role in attracting tourists. The Bagori and Burapahar ranges, in particular, drew increased visitor interest due to frequent rhino sightings and the rare appearance of gharials.

For the first time, tourists were able to spot gharials in the Burapahar range, generating excitement among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists alike.

“We had first detected signs of gharials during a bird survey conducted in 2023, but this year tourists could actually witness them in the Burapahar range. There have been at least two to three sightings this season, which is a very positive development,” the DFO said.

Apart from the gharial sightings, a golden tiger was also spotted in the Kohora range earlier this season and later in the Bagori range.

The national park, spread across the floodplains of the Brahmaputra, traditionally closes every year during the monsoon months as rising water levels inundate large sections of the reserve.

The closure also allows wildlife to move freely during the flood season and enables authorities to undertake road repairs and habitat management activities before reopening later in the year.