Bhitarkanika National Park to Reopen on August 1

Rajnagar: Bhitarkanika National Park will reopen for tourists from August 1. The sanctuary was closed for 3 months for crocodile breeding.

The sanctuary is shut every year from May 1 to July 31 as female crocodiles turn highly territorial after laying eggs. To ensure visitor safety, the Forest Department restricts all tourism and overnight stays during this period. “From August 1, tourists will be permitted to enter Bhitarkanika and avail night-stay facilities inside the park,” said Rajnagar Divisional Forest Officer Bhardraj Gaonkar.

Why the 3-month closure?

Between May and July, rare saltwater crocodiles in Bhitarkanika enter their breeding phase. A gravid female scouts for elevated ground away from tidal creeks and builds a mound-nest using dry leaves, up to two feet high. She lays 40 to 60 eggs, covers the clutch with leaves and twigs, and then guards it aggressively from the nest or within a 5 to 10-foot radius for the next 75 days until the hatchlings emerge.

Given this behavior, the Forest Department shuts the park to both domestic and foreign tourists annually. Starting in the first week of June, forest personnel also conduct nest surveys across the mangroves, mapping locations and taking GPS-tagged photographs for monitoring.

This year’s census

The crocodile nest census for 2026 has been completed. Officials recorded 117 active nests inside the national park this season. Kanika Range accounted for the bulk with 106 nests, followed by 10 in Rajnagar Range and 1 in Mahakalapada Range.

With the breeding cycle over, authorities say the park is now safe for tourism to resume.