The Forest Department has stopped entry into the Gendekatte Forest Park on the outskirts of Hassan following a recent fire incident in the park. The public will not be allowed inside the park until the monsoon sets in.
A fire was noticed in the park on February 23 and it was doused within a few minutes. The officials suspected that some visitors kindled the fire.
“It was a small fire. It spread across a few guntas of land and the timely response by the staff helped in extinguishing it. Animals were not affected,” said Sivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, on Sunday.
The Gendekatte forest is spread across 318 acres and has a park in about 25 acres. About 100 deer and two sambar deer are present in the park.
The department has posted staff on contract to guard the park.
However, they find it difficult to keep a vigil on the movement of people around the park as the road near the park also connects to the villages nearby.