STR reopens for tourists

Baripada: The Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) reopened for tourists on Thursday after four months, officials said.The tiger reserve was temporarily closed due to monsoon.

The Deputy Director of STR, Samrat Gouda, said 151 tourists in 36 vehicles visited the tiger reserve on the first day.The tiger reserve was closed for tourists from June 12 due to monsoon.For the first time, wildlife safari facilities were provided by STR authorities for the tourists.

Interested tourists will have to pre-book the safari vehicles through Odisha eco tourism web portal in advance, he said.The wildlife safari vehicles will provide service for five hours from 5.30 am and four hoursfrom 3 pm, Gouda said.

Tourists can visit the STR from Kaliani entry point in Jashipur from 6 am to 12 pm and Pithabata entry point in Baripada division from 11 am to 1 pm.It has been made mandatory for every tourist vehicle to take one guide with them while entering the tiger reserve.

The tourists will have to exit from the park through Kalikaprasad check gate by 6 pm.If a tourist car develops any mechanical snag inside the park, the occupants of such vehicle will have to pay Rs 4,000 and avail of vehicles provided by the STR.Spread over 2,750 sq km, the reserve has varieties of plant species and 96 types of orchids.

It is home to 42 species of mammals, 242 varieties of birds and 30 reptile categories. Besides rare melanistic tigers, Royal Bengal Tigers, leopards, Asian elephants, sambar, barking deer, gaur, jungle cat, wild boar, four-horned antelope and giant squirrels are also found in it.