Bhitarkanika National Park to Close for Three Months to Ensure Safe Crocodile Breeding Season

Bhubaneswar: Bhitarkanika National Park, renowned for its thriving population of saltwater crocodiles, will be closed to visitors from May 1 to July 31 this year. The decision, announced by Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests (ACF) Manas Das, is aimed at providing a safe and undisturbed environment during the reptiles’ crucial nesting and breeding period.

Highlighting the importance of the closure, ACF Das noted, “Female crocodiles become highly aggressive while guarding their nests, and the majority of crocodile attacks are reported during this season.” As a precautionary step, tourism activities have been suspended to ensure both visitor safety and successful breeding.

According to the latest census conducted in January 2025, Bhitarkanika is home to 1,826 saltwater crocodiles. Female crocodiles typically lay between 50 and 60 eggs per nest and remain fiercely protective of their nests until the hatchlings emerge.

To minimize disturbances, forest officials have intensified security measures. Forest guards will closely monitor nesting sites, while local villagers have been prohibited from entering the park during these three months. Routine activities like honey collection, fishing, and wood gathering — which could provoke the protective mother crocodiles — are strictly banned.

Moreover, the movement of mechanized boats within the park limits has also been suspended to maintain a peaceful habitat for the breeding reptiles.

Bhitarkanika, often dubbed the “Mini-Amazon of India,” is a vital wetland ecosystem. The temporary closure is seen as a necessary step to conserve its rich biodiversity and protect one of India’s most important crocodile populations.