Jungle safari opens for public in Shuklaphanta

Dodhara Chandani (Kanchanpur), Oct 23: The Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district has been open for jungle safari since last Thursday.

National Park’s Conservation Officer Manoj Ayer said the Park was opened for tourists later than usual date this year due to flood damaging infrastructures on the way to the Park.

Jungle safari is one of the major attractions of the Park spread across 305 sq km. The Park is home to a rich wildlife, including a herd of over 2,000 Swamp Deer and 44 Royal Bengal Tigers, as per the latest census.

The rich biodiversity of the Park also features several endangered species of flora and fauna including rhino, 12 types of reptiles, 20 types of amphibians, 24 species of fishes, 35 types of butterflies, 449 species of birds and 80-90 Nilgai (large antelope), according to the record maintained by the Park in 2013.

Conservation Officer Ayer explained that the wooden bridges and roads leading to the Park were severely damaged by monsoon-induced disasters.

Extensive repair works on those flood-damaged infrastructures took some time while gravel works remained to be carried out on the subsidiary roads, he added.

The Park received 3,067 tourists including 250 foreign nationals, in the last fiscal year 2023/24. The Park, actively working to promote tourism, has opened its gate for visitors albeit late to receive more visitors this year, Ayer said.