KANCHANPUR, Oct 23: The Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district has been reopened for jungle safari from Thursday.

The national park’s Conservation Officer Manoj Ayer said the park was opened for tourists later than usual date this year due to damage to infrastructures on the way to the park by the recent floods. He explained that wooden bridges and roads leading to the park were severely damaged by monsoon-induced disasters.

He added that extensive repair works on those flood-damaged infrastructures took some time while gravel works remained to be carried out on the secondary roads.

Jungle safari is one of the major attractions of the park which is spread across 305 square kilometers. 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 wildlife census.

The rich biodiversity of the park also features several endangered species of flora and fauna including rhinos, 12 species of reptiles, 20 species 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.

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.