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National parks in India that are now closed for the monsoon season
Every year, as the monsoon season sets in, major national parks in India shuts down for four to five months. The reasons vary from region to region. For instance, towards the north eastern side of the country, the rainfall is maximum and every year the parks get flooded. In other parts of the country, even though it may not be a flood situation, during monsoon season, the forest gets heavy undergrowth and it becomes difficult for any vehicular movement.
In tiger territories, though it is believed that this is the time when breeding happens, that might not be the case. They breed the whole year round. It’s just that the wildlife also needs some breathing time, free from visitors in their territory.
Here are some of the parks either already off-limits now, or will be closed very soon for the season.
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Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve closed on June 30th, and will be reopening again on October 1. All core zones are closed now, but buffer zones and Gate 6-10 will remain open. If you are interested in resident birds, some off season birding can still happen in the buffer zones.
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Kaziranga National Park, Assam
The home to the great Indian rhinoceros is now closed for the tourist season. The park stays closed from May 1 to October 1, and that includes all elephant and jeep safaris. Also, do keep in mind, Assam gets heavy rainfall during this time of the year, and the park and the neighbouring areas get flooded, so not the best time to visit the region even for birding.
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Manas National Park, Assam
Just like Kaziranga National Park, Manas too remains closed for the tourist season from May to October every year. Manas shares the same problem of heavy rainfall and flood as Kaziranga. Don’t get stuck here.
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Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Though the park is technically still open, come July 1, all gates will be closed for the tourist season till September 30. During monsoon season, the roads in the area get blocked, making it difficult to travel.
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Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Bandhavgarh National Park will also be closed from July 1 till September 30. Though opening dates may vary. With all the core zones closed, you can still explore the buffer zones of Panpatha, Johila, and Dhamokhar. They stay open the whole year round, but road conditions will not be too comfortable during the monsoon season.
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Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Though open now, the Satpura National Park will close its gates from July 1 to September 30. Please note that if you are planning to go for one last safari for the season, it’s a fifty-fifty chance that it will happen. Due to the rains, safaris may get cancelled and there’s no refund in such cases. Plan wisely.
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Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Dhikala and Bijrani Zones are closed from June to October/November. However, Dhela and Jhirna Zones stay open the whole year round. But, during the monsoon season, it is risky to visit these areas as well because Jim Corbett National Park is prone to flooding.
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Gir National Park, Gujarat
Gir National Park is now closed for the tourist season and will stay shut till October 15. However, Devaliya Safari Park, which is also a good place to see the majestic Asiatic lion, will remain open for visitors.
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Tadoba National Park, Maharashtra
Tadoba National Park will close its gates from June 30 to October 15. Buffer zones, however, will remain open throughout the year. If you are interested in bird watching, forests in Tadoba are good places to spot some really interesting resident species.
