CHITWAN:  Commercial jeep safari services inside Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal’s first national park, have been suspended from today for the monsoon season.

According to the park administration, the suspension will remain in effect until further notice due to safety concerns during the rainy season.

Heavy rainfall often triggers floods in streams, damages unpaved forest roads and causes trees to fall, making travel inside the park risky for visitors.

Park Information Officer Avinash Thapa Magar said the monsoon is also a crucial breeding season for wildlife and birds, making it necessary to minimize disturbances within the protected area.

The park, which is also enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Natural), has followed the practice of suspending safari operations every monsoon for years.

The service is typically resumed around the Dashain festival, depending on weather conditions and the state of the forest roads.

Although jeep safaris inside the national park have been halted, safari operations in surrounding community forests will continue, Thapa Magar informed. Commercial jeep safaris normally enter the park from several gateways, including Sauraha, Kasara, Meghauli, Madi and different locations in Nawalparasi.

The safari is one of the main attractions for domestic and international visitors, offering opportunities to observe the park’s rich biodiversity and wildlife in their natural habitat within the Park’s 932 sq km protected area.