The Bihar forest department is mulling to turn Munger forests in the state into a wildlife sanctuary and to develop a Jungle Safari here to draw attention of the nature and wildlife lovers, a senior official said on Monday.
“We are now preparing to make the Munger forests a wildlife sanctuary and as attractive and drawing as the VTR (Valmiki tiger reserve), which is in West Champaran. Though Munger forest is least likely to have big cats, animals like deer, bears and hyena can be easily spotted here,” said Neeraj Narayan, divisional forest officer, Munger.
The Munger district also has a huge wetland, the Bhimbandh, which receives hundreds of varieties of local and migratory birds during the winters. A bird festival is held here every year to create awareness about the birds and their Natural habitat, Narayan said.
“Munger forests have a variety in geographical location and landscape. While half of the forests is located in the plains, there are hills also in this area. For the exact position of the forests, we will soon be starting the mapping of the forest cover in Munger district,” he added.
The official said that the place has enough potential to draw tourists. “All that we need to do is to develop tourism facilities to offer them good experience,” he said.
“This area has been known for extremism and extremists. So efforts will have to be taken to make the tourists’ visit safe and smooth, “ he added.
