The Muthanga and Tholpetty ecotourism centres under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) will remain closed for tourists till April 16.
Earlier, the Chief Wildlife Warden had directed the sanctuary authorities to bar visitors to these centres from February 21 to February 31 but it was extended as per the recommendation of the authorities.
This is to avert calamities due to the drought situation in the region and a possible outbreak of bush fires. Extreme dry conditions are prevailing in the region.
“Though some parts of the sanctuary received summer rain a few weeks ago, water scarcity and forest fire still pose as a serious threat to the sanctuary,” warden P. Dhaneshkumar said.
Mr. Dhaneshkumar said unlike last year, major forest fires were yet to be reported this year in the sanctuary.
“The department has taken all possible steps to prevent forest fires. But the dry spell in the region, lack of summer rain, and dried bamboo clusters are posing a serious threat to wildlife,” he added.
Wildlife migration from the nearby Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu to other areas has increased considerably, thanks to forest fires and the dry spell in those regions, Mr. Dhaneshkumar said.
The decision to bar visitors to the WWS has been taken considering security reasons and to ensure trouble-free migration of animals, he added.
