Kuldiha forest. Telegraph picture

Balasore, Nov. 1: The gates of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, known for its various flora and fauna, have been thrown open for tourists from today.

The sanctuary reopened after a gap of four months after the rainy season. Forest officials expected that this winter, the sanctuary would draw tourists mainly from the neighbouring Bengal.

“Apart from day visitors, around 3,000 tourists stay overnight in the sanctuary every year. We expect the highest number of tourist footfall here during this season,” said divisional forest officer Kedarnath Swain.

“We have renovated the suits inside the sanctuary and improved the facilities. From this season, we are also introducing eco-guide facilities for the visitors. We have trained around 100 local youths as eco-guides, who can be hired by tourists at a nominal charge. The local guides are well aware of the location of habitats of various animals,” said Swain. The sanctuary, spread over 272.4sqkm, can be visited after obtaining permission from both the divisional forest officer and the Kuldiha forest range office. The sanctuary has only two locations for night stay — one at Kuldiha and another at Jodachua.

“We have tents as well as bungalows in these locations,” said Kuldiha forest ranger Sankarshan Mahalik.

“One can see elephants near salt pits in the mornings and evenings. Various other wild animals can also be seen in the forest, especially near the water tanks,” he said.

“We have been trying to upgrade the facilities of the sanctuary to attract more tourists. A website on the sanctuary is being developed,” said the divisional forest officer.