Wildlife Guide :: National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Tigers in Orissa are under threat. Their survival now depends on a variety of factors, the removal of which could help them see another day. A few decades ago the distribution of tigers in the forests of Orissa was wide and almost most districts of the State harboured them. But since the early 1980s many forest areas have started feeling the pressure of deforestation, and poaching.

Wild Orissa believes that inclusion under the Project Tiger scheme will be an extra emphasis on tiger conservation by way of receipt of more funds from the Centre, receipt of more equipments such as vehicles, wireless sets, and arms from external agencies, reorienting the priorities of the forest personnel from forest protection to specific tiger conservation and wildlife conservation in general.

Tiger Reserve originated primarily as a hunting ground for the royalty. It was formally designated a tiger reserve in 1956 under Project Tiger in May 1972. It was elevated to a national park status in 1979. Located in the Mayurbhanj district of India, coastal state of Orissa, Simlipal Tiger Reserve is an ecosystem complete with forest vegetation (mainly sal trees), fauna and the adjoining Santhal tribal settlements. High plateaus and hills, the highest peak being the Mangesheri, surround the forest. At least 12 rivers cut across the plain area. The prominent among them are Burhabalanga, Palpala Bandan, Kahairi and Deo. This sprawling forest also has many waterfalls that are a perpetual attraction to the tourist. It has withstood two cyclones. in 1982 and 1999. without any irrevocable damages and continues to enchant visitors.

A tiger’s coat displays a combination of three colours-white, tawny, and black. “A wholly white tiger, with the stripe pattern visible ony uder reflected light, like the pattern of a white tabby cat, was exhibited in the Exeter Change Menagerie in the early part of the 19th century and described by Hamilton-Smith” (Pocock, 1939: 202). Sagar and Singh (1989) reported a “tiger without stripes” from Similipal Tiger Reserve, and cited similar information from another location in Similipal and one from Chitrakonda of Korput in Orissa.

Located close to the boundary of Chhatisgarh state on the western fringe of Orissa in the newly created Nuapada district, this sanctury covers 600 sq. km. of dry deciduous forests. The plateau on the hill top holds a slightly undulating flat land with good edible grass. Eleven beautiful waterfalls and seasonal streams which dry out during summer leaving few deep pools of water. These are very fascinating attractions. Major wildlife species are: tiger, leopard, hyena, barking deer, chital, gaur, sambar, sloth bear, varieties of birds such as hill myna, pea fowl, partridge and a number of reptilian species. This sanctury is considered as an ideal habitat for Barasingha (locally extinct).

Proposed as a Tiger Reserve, Sunabeda Sanctuary in Nuapada district is largely a grass-covered plateau adjoining Udanti and Sitanadi Sanctuaries of Chhatisgarh State. It forms a migration link for wild buffaloes across the two states of Orissa and Chhatisgarh. The sanctuary is an attraction to ecotourists because of elepven waterfalls, caves at Ranimuhas, archaeological sites at Giribaman, Jumlagarh Fort and Muraguda, and the bird observation points at Jalki and Raital Bandh in Maraguda. Sunabeda forms a part of the tourist route linking Nrushinghanath, Harishakar, Patal Ganga, Patora Reservoir and Jogeswar Temple. The life-styles and the livelihood opportunities generated for people of 43 villages hold in them the future sustenance of Sunabeda Sanctuary as a part of an interstate habitat for tiger and wild buffalo.

Chilika has a pride of place in Orissa’s literature and culture, and has influenced the poets and philosophers. It has held great significance for planners, scientists, international organizations like ‘The Wetlands International’ and ‘Asian Wetland Bureau’. Chilika lagoon has been designated as a Ramsar site (Wetland of International importance) from the 1st October, l981.

Chilika, the largest brackish water wetland (1000 sq. km aprox.) in the country is situated in the east coast of the state in the district of Puri, Ganjam and Khurda. A vast and picturesque lagoon/lake is famous for rich bio-diversity including the migratory birds and has been acknowledged as a “Ramsar site”.

Chilika is the largest inland brackish water body of its kind in Asia forming an enomorous lagoon situated on the east coast of peninsular India between 19° 28′ N to 19°54′ N latitude and 85° 6′ E to 85° 35′ E longitude in the districts of Puri, Ganjam and Khurda in the state of Orissa

The vast and dream like Chilika Lagoon is situated on the east-coast of India. It is the largest brackish Water Lagoon with estuarine character that sprawls along the east coast. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent. It is one of the hotspot of biodiversity in the country, and some rare, vulnerable and endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List of threatened Animals inhabit in the lagoon for atleast part of their life cycle. The total number of fish species are reported to be 225 (Dean and Saaltink, 1991). Along with a variety of phytoplankton, algae and aquatic plants, the Lake region also supports over 350 species of non-aquatic plants (Panda and Pattnaik, 1988). By a recent phytodiversiy survey by CDA ( 2002) 710 number of plants identified from Chilika( within the waterbody, including the Islands and shoreline plants) . A survey of the fauna of Chilika carried out by the Zoological Survey of India in 1985-87 recorded over 800 species in and around the lagoon. This list includes a number of rare, threatened and endangered species, including the Barakudia limbless skink. On account of its rich bio-diversity, Chilika was designated as a “Ramsar Site”, i.e. a wetland of International Importance. The Nalaban Island within the lagoon is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under Wildlife (Protection) Act, the National Wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs Committee of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, have also identified the lagoon as a priority site for conservation and management. The Lagoon is a highly productive ecosystem, with rich fishery resources. The rich fishing ground sustain the livelihood of more than 0.15 million fisherfolk who live in and around the Lagoon.