Similipal Tiger Reserve to Reopen for Tourists from October 10

Baripada: Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district is set to reopen for tourists from October 10, marking the start of the 2024-25 tourist season. The reserve had been closed since June 12 due to the monsoon, as is customary every year. A notification regarding the reopening was issued by Prakash Chand Gogineni, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) of Baripada and Field Director of STR.

Tourists can enter STR through two main points: Pithabata under the Baripada territorial division and Kaliani under the Jashipur range in Karanjia. These entry points are typically closed during the rainy season, with maintenance work, including road repairs, carried out by the Forest department during the closure.

Covering an area of 2,750 sq km, Similipal is a biodiversity hotspot, hosting a wide range of rare and endangered flora and fauna. The reserve is home to 75% of Odisha’s tigers, including melanistic tigers and 25% of the state’s elephants. Other wildlife species in the reserve include spotted deer, sambar, wild boar, elephants, hornbill and many others.