Bhubaneswar: Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the state’s premier tiger habitat, reopened to tourists on Sunday after its monsoon closure, with forest authorities undertaking extensive restoration work to repair roads and bridges damaged by heavy rain.The reserve witnessed an encouraging turnout on the first day, with 358 tourists entering the protected area in 54 vehicles. Of them, 236 visitors were from Odisha, while 122 came from outside the state, reflecting the continuing popularity of Similipal among wildlife enthusiasts.According to reserve authorities, the Kalikaprasad gate on the Jashipur side recorded the highest footfall with 205 tourists, while 153 visitors entered through the Pithabata gate on the Baripada side. Notably, 73 of those entering through Pithabata were tourists from outside Odisha.The reopening comes after months of intensive repair and restoration work across the 2,750 sq km tiger reserve. Similipal has nearly 1,000 km of forest roads, which serve as a lifeline for forest management activities and for villages located within and around the reserve.Forest officials said monsoon rain routinely damages sections of these roads every year, necessitating repair work during Oct and Nov. However, this year’s excessive rainfall caused several small and large nullahs to overflow, resulting in extensive damage to forest roads, causeways, culverts and bridges.While the reserve generally undertakes major repairs on about 50 km of roads and minor repairs on around 250 km annually, the scale of destruction this year was significantly higher. Authorities carried out major repairs on nearly 100 km of roads and minor repairs on about 500 km. Five major bridges suffered serious damage, while 20 wooden bridges required repair and restoration before the reserve could reopen to visitors.Officials said restoration efforts would continue even as tourist activities resume.