Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The core areas of six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh, which is home to the highest number of these big cats, will be reopened from October 1 after remaining shut for three months, an official said.
These six reserves are Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Pench, Panna and Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve.
"Online bookings for entry into these reserves has started from September 21. The core areas of the parks will be opened after being closed for three months," Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Alok Kumar said in a statement.
These reserves were shut on July 1 due to the monsoon season.
Till Tuesday evening, over 3,200 people have made bookings in order to visit these national parks.
These include 1,239 bookings for Kanha National Park, 1,115 for Bandhavgarh, 737 for Pench, 93 for Satpura, 46 for Panna and five for Sanjay Tiger reserve.
The tiger reserves are closed during monsoon, as it is the breeding season for the big cats. Moreover, the pathways in the reserves become unmotorable because of the rains, and infrastructure in these parks, including grasslands, are developed for animals during this period.
As per the last census, Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of 526 tigers in the country. The All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 had found the presence of 2,967 tigers in the country.
