Safaris in Kaziranga to remain closed on April 6-7 due to ’Gaj Utsav’

The jeep and elephant safaris at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam will remain closed for tourists for two days from April 6 in view of the Elephant Festival, which is likely to be attended by President Droupadi Murmu, an official said.

The Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, will temporarily close its jeep and elephant safaris for two days, starting from April 6, due to the Elephant Festival. 

This event is expected to be attended by President Droupadi Murmu. The two-day festival, called 'Gaj Utsav-2023', will begin on April 6, and the jeep and elephant safaris will remain closed on April 6-7. The announcement was made by the Eastern Assam Wildlife Divisional Forest Officer, Ramesh Gogoi, on Wednesday.

The safaris will remain closed in all the ranges of the national park which include Kohora, Bagori, Burapahar and Agoratoli, he said.

The President is scheduled to arrive at the park, famed for its one-horned rhinoceros, on April 6 and attend the festival on both days.

The festival is an annual event organised at the national park and this year both the Union and state departments for Environment and Forests are organising it.

The event is held to protect and conserve the Asiatic elephant and find ways to resolve the increasing man-elephant conflict in the state. 

According to the last census in 2017, Assam has 5,719 wild elephants, the second-highest population of the animal in the country after Karnataka.