June 13: Chitwan National Park has decided to suspend jungle safari, jungle walk and other activities inside the national park from June 15 citing the arrival of monsoon.

With the monsoon arriving in Nepal and spreading gradually across the country, the park decided to shut down these activities to prevent risks and damages triggered by the monsoon rain.

Information Officer of the National Park Ganesh Prasad Tiwari shared that the decision was taken to prevent damages of forest track, secure human lives from monsoon-induced disasters and felling of trees.

"Tourism activities will be closed temporarily until further notice," Tiwari informed. The park has also closed tourism activities including boating in Rapti River during monsoon.

Altogether 159,881 tourists, both domestic and external, visited the park from the beginning of this fiscal year till mid-May generating over Rs 80 million in revenue, according to the park.

Jungle safari has been one of the major tourist attractions and highest revenue generator in the park which is home to 68 recorded species of mammals, 544 species of birds, 56 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 126 species of fish. -- RSS