BALASORE: Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary will reopen for tourists on November 1. The sanctuary was closed in July for monsoon.
The thick wooded sanctuary spread across an area of 272.75 square km is home to wild animals like sambar, bison, gaur and giant squirrels besides leopards and elephants.
The forest also houses a variety of birds like hornbills, hill myna and peafowl. The perennial streams in the forest are also home to a variety of reptiles.
Kuldiha forest ranger Rabindra Mohapatra said tourists will be allowed to enter into the reserve forest through Tenda beat house route. Tourists have to pay `20 each and `100 extra for vehicle. If they come in a group of 10 or more, they have to pay `10 each. International tourists have to pay `1,000 each for entering the sanctuary.
Forest officials hoped the flow of tourists will increase this year due to better arrangements than previous years. Kuldiha sanctuary is linked with Similipal through Sukhupada hills and Nato hill ranges.
Two rest houses at Kuldiha and Jorachua and the perennial streams are treats for the visitors.
While proper communication and accommodation facilities have been made available for the tourists and security tightened, Mohapatra said, entry of plastic items, alcohol, weapons and other waste materials inside the forest has been restricted.
As per the records, as many as 5,304 tourists had visited Kuldiha sanctuary in 2013-14, while the number in 2012-13 was 4,277.