The Gautala Autramghat wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra will remain closed for tourists for two-and-a-half months from July 1 to facilitate the breeding of animals and birds, an official said on Wednesday. A few more protected forests, including the Pench Tiger Reserve, have also imposed some restrictions on visitors during the rainy season.

In an order issued on Tuesday, the forest department said the Gautala Autramghat sanctuary, spread over 64,000 acres in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalgaon districts, will be out of bounds for visitors till September 15. “This is the breeding season for most animals and birds living in the area. Moreover, tourists might get stuck inside the sanctuary during the rains. So we have taken this decision,” said Deputy Conservator of Forest Mohan Naikwadi.

Gautala, located in Satmala and Ajanta hill ranges, is home to leopards, wild boars, a tiger, over 240 varieties of birds and many other animals, an official said. Meanwhile, the authorities said that the jungle safari in the core regions of Pench Tiger Reserve in Nagpur district, Bor Tiger Reserve in Wardha district and Umred-Paoni-Karhandala Wildlife Sanctuary, straddling Bhandara and Nagpur district, will be inaccessible to tourists from July 1 until “further orders”.