Gujarat: Gir sanctuary shuts for four months from Thursday

Gir National Park in Gujarat will be closed for four months for the visitors from June 16 on account of monsoon and protected area management initiative by the forest department.

The national park and sanctuary is a home of Asiatic lions.

Apart from that it's a habitat of various species of birds and other herbivorous animals.

During the last eight months, over five lakh people visited this protected area.

The area is spread in 1412 square kilometres and it's a last home of Asiatic lions.

According to the forest department, apart from lion, the forest area is the habitat of leopard, hyena, Chital, Sambhar, blue bull etc and birds like malabar whistling thrush, orange headed ground thrush, paradise flycatcher, black naped flycatcher, Indian pitta etc.

However, Devaliya Safari park, which is a big enclosure for lion sightings, will remain open for the tourists.

Deputy conservator of forest, Gir sanctuary, Mohan Ram said "The Gir jungle trail will remain closed as per the protected area management plan.There are 338 species of birds residing inside this protected area."

According to Ram, there is a problem of road accessibility during monsoon inside the forest area.

That's also one reason tourists are not allowed inside the protected area.