Chitwan, June 23: The jeep safari services operated inside the Chitwan National Park (CNP) here are to be suspended from this June 29 in view of the monsoon.
The safari has been closed because it becomes difficult for vehicles to enter the park during the rainy season.
CNP closes the jungle safari every year during the monsoon season. As the monsoon ends, the safari is opened around the mid-September when the festivals begin. If the monsoon prolongs, the opening time is also postponed accordingly.
Avinash Thapamagar, the CNP Information Officer, said the jungle safari will be reopened after repairing the roads damaged during the monsoon due to rain.
Although the jungle safari inside the park will be stopped, he mentioned that jeep safaris will continue in the community forest of the park buffer zone.
He said that tourist activities including trekking inside the reserve and observing the crocodile breeding center will be regularly conducted.
Dr. Ganesh Pant, the CNP Chief Conservation Officer, said there is a practice of closing jungle safari in such parks around the world for a few months every year. He added that due to this, the wildlife inside the sanctuary will not be disturbed and living will be made easier.
It is said that during the monsoon season, floods occur and rivers swell, trees fall, roads become slippery and muddy, and with the growth of grass and shrubs, even wild animals cannot be seen easily.
Thirty-two jeeps are operated from Sauraha area, 10 from Kasara, seven from Meghauli, and five from Amaltari providing jungle safari to tourists.
