After the five-month long monsoon break, Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve- notified this year as the second tiger reserve after Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhan- is all set to welcome the visitors from Sunday-November 15.
The preparations have been completed and the park authorities are gearing up to greet the tourists. With the addition of three buffer zones in the reserve, Rajaji National Park is now spread over 1075 sq kms.
The forest authorities have already completed repair of forest tracks for Gypsies which usually get damaged during the monsoon. Preparations are also afoot to groom up the forest rest houses which are the most sought after accommodations by the tourists.
Notably, RTR comprises Chilla, Ranipur, Mohund Chillawali, Asharodiwala in Ramgarh and Motichur forest ranges. The Chilla range beckons maximum number of tourists, given the experiences of the past years.
RNP attracts a large number of tourists towards the end of the year when people throng these places to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
State Forest and Wildlife Minister Dinesh Agarwal is slated to open a new nature trail for the tourists in the Asharodiwala area of Ramgarh range of the Rajaji National Park on November 15, said the park's director Neena Grewal. "We have increased the number of safari Gypsies this time in all the ranges. Ranipur range has 10, Chilla, 30 and Motichur range, eight Gypsies. The tracks have been repaired for them," said the director to The Pioneer.
Notably, the tiger population in Uttarakhand having risen from 227 to 340 since the last census has made the State second in the country after Karnataka in terms of big cat count.
This is an added attraction for the wild life lovers and the park authorities are expecting a surge in the footfalls of the tourists this year.