Car and elephant safaris will resume at Madarihat and Holong, popular spots within Jaldapara National Park, after the devastating flood earlier this month.

According to forest officials, car safaris will begin from Madarihat on Monday afternoon, while elephant safaris will start from Tuesday morning. The reopening marks a significant step toward restoring tourism in the sanctuary, which is famous for its population of one-horned rhinoceroses.

“Elephant safari will commence from Salkumar Hat gate and Holong Bungalow campus,” said Parveen Kaswan, divisional forest officer of Jaldapara wildlife division.

The safari had been paused as the Holong bridge had been washed away during the October 5 flood. A temporary diversion for light vehicles has been constructed beside the bridge.

From the Madarihat gate, 26 Gypsies will operate four trips daily, each carrying up to six tourists. The charge per vehicle has been fixed at ₹1,750.

The elephant safari, which starts from Holong Bungalow, will cost ₹1,000 per person, with five trained elephants (kunkis) conducting three trips a day. Each elephant will carry four passengers.

Car safaris from Chilapata, Kodalbasti, and Salkumar Gate had resumed on October 10, but the reopening of the Madarihat route was delayed due to repairs.

Sanjoy Das, joint secretary of the Dooars Tourism Development Welfare Fund, said: “We are happy that safaris will finally resume fully at Jaldapara. However, many visitors who cancelled their trips earlier may not return this year due to concerns over waterborne diseases. We expect the flow of tourists to improve only from December and January.”