GUWAHATI: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve will officially close its gates to tourists from May 29, marking the end of the current tourism season as authorities prepare for the monsoon period, when large parts of the park become inaccessible due to flooding.
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Earlier, on May 22, Divisional Forest Officer of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division issued a notification stating that the park would remain open to visitors until May 29 instead of the previously scheduled closure date of May 26.
Jeep safari services in the national park will remain closed from May 29. The final jeep safari for the season will take place on May 28.
According to the notice, the decision to close the park has been taken in the interest of public service and keeping in view prevailing weather conditions. During the monsoon season, rising water levels inundate large sections of the national park, making several areas inaccessible.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Assam’s leading wildlife tourism destinations and attracts visitors from across India and abroad every year.
According to reports, more than 4.7 lakh tourists visited the park during the current season, including a significant rise in the number of foreign tourists.
Spread across the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, the national park traditionally remains closed during the monsoon months before reopening for tourists after the rainy season.