CHITWAN: Chitwan National Park has announced a temporary suspension of jeep safari operations within the park starting today.
The decision comes as part of an annual measure aimed at protecting wildlife during their breeding season and ensuring visitor safety during the monsoon.
According to Abinash Thapa Magar, the park’s information officer, the safari services will remain halted until the first or second week of October.
He noted that the reopening date will depend on the severity of the rainfall. If monsoon conditions improve early, safaris could resume in the first week of October. However, in case of continued heavy rainfall, the closure may be extended.
The monsoon period is considered a crucial time for the breeding of wild animals and birds. Park authorities stated that human activity inside the park during this sensitive time could disturb wildlife habitats and reproductive behavior. Additionally, frequent landslides, waterlogged trails, and flooding during the rainy season pose safety risks to visitors.
Thapa Magar explained that the park has a long-standing practice of halting commercial jeep safaris during the monsoon every year. The roads inside the park often suffer damage due to heavy rain, and the temporary closure is necessary for both environmental and safety reasons.
While safari operations within the core area of the national park are suspended, jeep safaris in surrounding buffer zones and community-managed forest areas will continue as usual. The park administration will monitor weather developments and announce the resumption of services accordingly.
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