Similipal is the first Tiger Reserve in India to close for tourist from June 12 as the breeding season approaches. Simlipal National Park and tiger reserve is located in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. According to an official, the Similipal Tiger Reserve will close its doors to tourists from June 12 and would remain shut until September 30.
Each year, reserves across India remain off-limits to tourists during the monsoon season, as it allows wild animals to procreate. Prakash Chandra Gogineni, Field Director of STR, in a notification said that the exact reopening date will be communicated in a couple of months as monsoon recedes.
However, specific areas within the reserve, such as the ecotourism complexes of Jamuani, Gurgudia, Kumari, Barehipani, and Itamtirtha, will remain accessible to visitors.
Also read: Supreme Court halts mining activities around Sariska Tiger Reserve The Official clarified that access to the reserve is restricted annually from mid-June onwards due to disruptions in road connectivity caused by heavy rainfall. Typically, the national park, a prominent attraction in Odisha, resumes tourism activities during the first week of November.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast the onset of the southwest monsoon in South Odisha within the next two-three days.
Meanwhile, an official in Mahrashtra said that a significant discovery was made at the Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, where the elusive 'peacock royal' butterfly, scientifically known as Tajuria cippus, was captured in photographic records for the first time.
Also read: Leopard Resurgence: Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve leads surge in India's big cat population Wildlife conservationist Mandar Pingle and deputy director of the Satpuda Foundation said that the Tajuria cippus was spotted on a ficus species tree at Mama Tower, situated at an elevation of 438 meters above sea level, around 4 pm on May 23. The observation occurred during camera installation work rather than a specific butterfly survey, marking the inaugural documentation of this species within the PTR.
Prabhu Nath Shukla, Deputy Director of Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, emphasized the significance of this finding, as Tajuria cippus had never been encountered in previous butterfly surveys in the area. He highlighted the diverse flora of the reserve as a contributing factor to the presence of this butterfly species.
Mandar Pingle noted the importance of ongoing biological surveys in the region, suggesting that the unexpected sighting during a non-focused survey activity hints at the potential commonality of Tajuria cippus within the Pench Tiger Reserve. The presence of multiple specimens indicates the possible existence of a stable population, further expanding the known range of Tajuria cippus within Maharashtra.
