Luxury Boat Ride In Bhitarkanika

Four luxury boats from Goa at a cost of Rs 4 crore under Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project for tourists. Each boat can carry 20 tourists.

Besides comfort, the eco-friendly soundless fibre vessels are equipped with foolproof safety mechanism. The boats are built to ensure safe travel in crocodile-infested water bodies. The creeks and nullahs in the park are home to around 1,600 salt-water crocodiles.

"The unique boats are one of the most important tourist attractions of Bhitarkanika. "Each boat has two bedrooms, a balcony with comfortable seating arrangement, a bathroom, a dinning hall and a kitchen. The boats are like floating hotels to make sightseeing memorable," and the boats have solar lamps and fans. 

Bhitarkanika in one of the eco-tourism hotspots, having beautiful water bodies with lush green mangrove forests along with crocodiles, birds, snakes and other animals. "One will be mesmerized at the picturesque beauty and serenity of the park while traveling in the luxury boats," .

The park boasts of 215 species of avifauna, including eight amazing varieties of Kingfishers. Gahirmatha beach near the park is one of the largest rookery for Olive Ridley sea turtles. A trip to Bhitarkanika will be incomplete without a luxury boat ride.

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Dandiya Festival at Hotel Swosti Premium bhubaneswar

A night of non-stop dancing, electrifying energy, bright colors,and of course the rhythmic captivating beats of the dandiya sticks. Come and celebrate this Navratri in a big way with your near and dear ones at Chanakya Hall, Swosti Premium. 
For more details : http://www.swostipremium.com/dandiya-night/

Similipal Tiger Reserve Introduce Tour Packages for Tourists

The Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) authorities will introduce tour packages for tourists. The move is aimed at streamlining tourist movement and generating more revenue.

There will be four dedicated vehicles with trained drivers for sightseeing. These vehicles won't be allowed inside the reserve area.

 Simlipal is home to three of India's biggest animal species --- tiger, Asian elephant and gaur. Spread over a sprawling area of 2,750 sq kms,

The park is at an altitude of 559.31 metre.

Variations in topography, conducive climate and required vegetation have supported large varieties of animals, birds and reptiles to flourish in Similipal.

Bird Count Increases in Bhitarkanika

KENDRAPADA: Last year, the authorities counted only 79,548 birds. "There was an increase in nesting this year particularly by the open bill storks. Given the magnitude of increase, one cannot rule out birds coming to Bhitarkanika from other locations, where water conditions and prey supply are not favourable for nesting. 

The most significant feature of avifauna in Bhitarkanika is colonial nesting of resident water birds at Bagagahana that sprawls over 4 acre surrounded by Bhitarkanika river on the east, Suajhore creek on the north and Patijhore creek on the south. Bhitarkanika is also sanctuary to birds who thrive in and around water. Abundant fish and distance from human habitation has also made Bagaghana congenial for breeding.

Awesome Food Festival at Swosti Premium Hotel

Bhitarkanika welcomes winged guests

If the rains come, can the winged guests be far behind? It's only the first week of monsoon and a large numbers of birds have already arrived in the Bhitarkanika National Park heronry, locally known as 'Bagagahana', for annual nesting.

Forest officials have so far recorded over 16 species of birds at the 'Bagagahana'. "More are expected in the coming days,"

The heronry sprawls over an area of 20 acre surrounded by Bhitarkanika river on the east, Suajhore creek on the north and Pitijhore creek on the south. Among the species that have already appeared are storks.

Bhitarkanika reopens with renovated hatchery

After a three-month break, Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district will reopen on Friday. It is closed for tourists from May 1 to July 31 during mating and nesting season of salt water crocodiles every year.
The restriction was imposed as during nesting and breeding time crocodiles turn more violent and the reptiles need tranquil and calm environment for mating, added the forest officer.

 The forest department recently renovated the 40-year-old crocodile hatchery and rearing centre at Dangmal in the park under Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme at a cost of Rs 30 lakh.

In 1974, the ministry of environment and forests in collaboration with UNDP had started the crocodile hatchery. The forest department stopped crocodile breeding and rearing two years back as the population made a quantum jump from mere 96 in 1974 to around 1,600. This year's census counted 1,644 crocodiles. The department renovated the centre to attract tourists to see baby crocodiles.

The facelift was meant to transform the facility into a bigger tourist attraction. The facility has plenty on offer with exciting baby crocodiles and eggs.

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Odisha : Bhitarkanika park welcomes 3,000 saltwater baby crocodiles

Around 3,000 saltwater crocodiles were born recently at Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district.

About two months ago, forest officials had sighted 68 nesting sites of the estuarine crocodiles in nullahs, creeks and rivulets across the Bhitarkanika river system. There were 50 to 60 eggs in a nest and around 45 hatchlings have been born from each nest and adding that an infant crocodile uses a small "egg tooth" at the end of its snout to break out of the shell.

In some cases, the mother eases birth by cracking the egg-shell with her teeth. She also guards her offspring after they have hatched and allows them to climb onto her body and head. Female crocodiles are aggressive towards intruders during this time. Nevertheless, baby crocodiles are vulnerable to predators during this high-risk stage of their life cycle.

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Lot of nesting sites of estuarine crocodiles spotted in Odisha

Around 65 nesting sites of estuarine crocodiles have been spotted in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district and the number is likely to increase as the counting process was still on

Wildlife personnel in the park have spotted around 65 nesting sites of estuarine crocodiles, the number of which has gone up in comparison to last year when 56 crocodile nests were found.

The nests were sighted by wildlife enumerators of the Forest department along the innumerable nullahs, creeks and water-inlets in the Bhitarkanika river system, an ideal habitat of saltwater crocodiles, even as the annual breeding ritual of the reptiles has reached its peak.

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