By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve will no longer be open to visitors from May 29 as the annual tourism season comes to an end ahead of the monsoon, when large portions of the sanctuary are submerged.
Forest officials said the closure has been planned in view of heavy monsoon rains and the gradual deterioration of roads inside the park area.
The Divisional Forest Officer of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division stated that safari operations will conclude on May 28, after which entry will be restricted. He noted that flooding during the rainy season makes many zones inside the reserve unreachable.
This year, Kaziranga recorded a significant increase in visitors, with official figures crossing 4.7 lakh tourists, including a notable jump in foreign arrivals. Authorities said outreach programmes and promotional campaigns helped boost interest in the park.
Improved wildlife sightings also contributed to the higher turnout, especially in the Bagori and Burapahar ranges, where frequent rhino sightings and rare encounters with gharials drew attention.
This season also saw visitors spotting gharials in the Burapahar range, which conservation officials described as an important development. The species had earlier been detected during a bird survey in 2023, but direct sightings by tourists were recorded only this year on a few occasions.
A rare golden tiger was additionally observed in the Kohora range earlier in the season and later again in Bagori, further increasing interest among wildlife enthusiasts.
The park lies across the Brahmaputra floodplains and is closed every year during the monsoon, as large areas get submerged due to rising water levels.
This shutdown period also gives wildlife undisturbed movement during floods and provides time for authorities to repair roads and carry out habitat upkeep before the park reopens.