Odisha news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Jan 4: The Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha will close to visitors in two phases this January to conduct bird and crocodile censuses.
The sanctuary and its various sections will be off-limits from January 6 to 8 and again on January 17 and 18 for these essential census operations. The crocodile census is set to begin in the evening of January 5 and will run until January 8, according to Saroj Panda, the Division Forest Officer (DFO) of Satkosia Wildlife Division. Tourists will be permitted to visit until the afternoon of January 5, just before the census starts.
Following the crocodile census, Satkosia will reopen to visitors on January 9, but will again close on January 17 and 18 for the bird census. During these census periods, all tourism-related activities, including boating in the Mahanadi River, will be suspended, and local fishermen will be prohibited from entering the gorge.
The census will cover a 23 km stretch along the Mahanadi River and involve 70 staff members organized into 14 teams from the Forest Department. Detailed arrangements, including the use of country boats, have been made for the census activities.
