Entry of tourists banned in Bhitarkanika National Park for 3 months from 1 May

A 3-month ban from 1 May has been imposed on tourists to the Bhitarkanika National Park. This ban to the wetland sites is because this period is the breeding season of salt-water crocodiles. Human interference disturbs the reptiles and they often turn violent and attack intruders during this period. The ban period will continue till July 31 and, tourists would not be allowed access to crocodile-infested areas of Bhitarkanika, Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 April 2016.

The sound of mechanized boats ferrying tourists and forest officials disturbs the crocodiles. The females lay eggs near the waterbodies in the mangrove forests and guard them till the hatchlings emerge. However, locals illegally enter the forest areas to collect honey and wood. The park has vast expanse of mangrove cover and wetland spots and is considered to be an ideal eco-tourism destination for camping, trekking and picnics. The major attractions are its saltwater crocodiles and migrant avian species and the tourists enjoy boat rides to the mangrove-covered waterbodies. Incidentally, as per a census carried out in January 2016, there are 1,671 salt-water crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika river system. And, nine years ago, the world' s largest crocodile (23feet) was found here and it made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage