BHUBANESWAR: Visitors making a trip to Kapilash sanctuary in the state now have more reasons to cheer as the Dhenkanal Forest Division has introduced jungle safari for them to explore the protected forest and its wildlife.
After Similipal, Debrigarh and Chandaka, Kapilash wildlife sanctuary is the fourth forest where jungle safari has been introduced for visitors and wildlife enthusiasts.
The division has made a provision of two seven-seater open vehicles that can be booked at an affordable rate of Rs 2,625 each including GST for a single trip. The safari trip, to be provided three times a day, could be booked online on Ecotour Odisha. However, the option of offline booking is also available subject to availability, said officials of the division.
The entry point of the safari will be Kapilash and the exit will be from Sorisapada. The division is also working on creating a separate exit route via Bania. Spread over 125 square km area, the Kapilash sanctuary was notified in 2011. However, the contiguous reserves in the buffer extend the total forest cover of the area to 390 square km making it an ideal place for jungle safari, said Dhenkanal DFO Prakash Chand Gogineni.
The two-hour-long safari with a 30-minute break in between will allow visitors to travel a total length of 126 km, Gogineni said. He said a 15 km mud road has also been created newly in the core to facilitate visitors to explore the forests and wildlife of the sanctuary more vividly and enrich their safari experience.
He said elephants are a major part of the species composition in the sanctuary. A herd of 10 to 15 elephants are often present in the Kapilash forest and the number sometimes goes up to 50 creating more chances of their sighting.
This apart, the DFO said, species such as chital, sambhar, barking deer and other animal species are also present in the sanctuary. The forest region also has the presence of a sizable number of pangolins and porcupines.
A watch tower at Chikita in the core area allows visitors to explore the forests of Kapilash more clearly. The provision of snacks has also been made at the watch tower. Moreover, visitors who are on jungle safari could also visit the Kapilash zoo. Apart from a driver, the department will also provide a guide to the visitors.
While the move will draw more visitors to explore the forests of Odisha, Gogineni said it will also help in strengthening the livelihood of the local community as the safari service will be run and managed by the eco-tourism development community Bania.