Bhubaneswar: Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district, which was shut for nine days starting from January 15, reopened its gates for visitors today.
The national park was closed for the annual census of estuarine crocodiles.
Bhitarkanika is said to have 70 per cent of India’s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, the conservation of which was started in 1975. The second-largest mangrove ecosystem in the country, Bhitarkanika, is often referred as ‘Mini Amazon’ in India. Home to saltwater crocodiles, the park also is the only habitat of the rare and endangered albino estuarine crocodiles.
With the park now open for day visit, adequate number of forest guards have been deployed to enforce the regulations and sanitisers placed at several places in the forest.