Balasore, Dec. 30: The local forest division is expanding ecotourism facilities in the Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary in order to draw tourists.

The project has been set up at Gohirabholo in the buffer region of the sanctuary.

Under the project, the department has added five more tents with the existing four and other facilities, including wash rooms and kitchens. Each tent accommodates two persons. A sum of Rs 2,500 is charged for two persons per tent, which includes food as well.

Besides providing tented accommodation for the tourists, the department has made provision for boating, swing and hammock. It has also built a watchtower. For the tourists' safety against wild animals, trenches and solar fencing have also been made.

Moreover, round-the-clock water supply as well as provision of hot water, too, have been made through solar heating panels for the tourists.

The forest authorities of Balasore have provided night stay facilities in an earmarked zone inside the core area of the sanctuary, which is about 8km from the entry gate.

Balasore divisional forest officer Harsh Bardhan Udgata said: "The objective is to close the accommodation facility in the forest's core area so as to keep the wildlife free from disturbance because of human movement."

"One can see herd of elephants near the salt pits, generally during the morning and evening hours, and also other species of wild animal near the water tanks," said an official of the sanctuary.

Kuldiha is connected to the Similipal sanctuary. The wild animals from Similipal at times get into Kuldiha via Natu, Satkosia and Hathgarh.

The sanctuary houses various flora such as sal, asan, kurmal and houses wild animals such as leopard, elephants, deer and other threatened species such as porcupine, bison and pangolin. Apart from other snakes, big pythons, too, are found in the Kuldiha sanctuary spread over 272.4sqkm.