BARDIYA, Oct 23: The number of tourists visiting the Bardiya National Park (BNP) increased by 42 per cent and reached 1,221 in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2016/17 in compared to the correspondent period last year. 

According to the statistics provided by the Park, of the total tourists visiting the Park in the first three months of the current fiscal year, 809 of them were domestic tourists and 403 from the other countries, including the South Asian countries. 

Last year, the BNP had welcomed a total of 710 tourists, of them 431 were within from home and 279 from other countries, including the South Asian countries, shared Ramesh Kumar Thapa, Chief Conservation Officer at the BNP. 

The rise in the number of visitors to the Park is attributed to the dissemination of positive message about the increased number of tiger, rhino and other wild animals in the park, mentions Chief Conservation Officer Thapa. 

Also, the period in between September to April is considered suitable for wildlife safari as the view of animals in their natural habitat is often clear in this period, guide Ram Shahi added. RSS