Tourists banned in Sundarbans during monsoon to safeguard breeding wildlife

West Bengal's top tourist hotspot, Sundarbans, has been closed to tourists during the entire monsoon season. The Forest Department has announced a complete ban on tourists in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve from June 15 to September 15, 2025. This annual conservation effort aims to protect the region's wildlife during their breeding cycle.

The months of June, July and August mark the peak mating and nesting period for many species and the closure will provide a disturbance-free environment, boosting reproductive success.

The initiative is part of the Integrated Resources Management Plan (IRMP), promoting sustainable and long-term conservation strategies for the area. The seasonal closure will allow the forest to experience a quiet period, essential for ecological recovery.

"It's a rule for all core forests in West Bengal and India during this time of the year. We always maintain this rule to provide a disturbance-free environment and boost reproductive success for animals and birds. That's why we have stopped tourists there. The initiative is part of the Integrated Resources Management Plan (IRMP), promoting sustainable and long-term conservation strategies for the area," West Bengal Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda told India Today.

The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, estuarine crocodiles, spotted deer and over 290 species of birds. The park also boasts 219 aquatic species and 344 different kinds of plants. This is the third consecutive year of the monsoon-season ban, but with a notable update: the restriction now begins a month earlier than before.

In addition to its terrestrial inhabitants, the park is also a haven for aquatic life, with 219 species calling it home. The region's flora is equally impressive, with 344 different kinds of plants thriving in this unique ecosystem.

To protect this delicate balance, the Sundarbans have implemented a monsoon-season ban for the third consecutive year, starting a month earlier than before to align with the natural rhythms of the forest's wildlife.