Located in the deltaic region of Brahmani and Baitarani on the north - eastern coast of India, the Bhitarkanika mangroves represent one of the finest remaining patches of mangrove forests, along the entire Indian coast. With two and half decades of continued conservation measures, this area has emerged as one of the well known coastal wetlands.
Bhitarkanika is a major breeding and wintering place for a multitude of resident and migratory waterbirds and is the east coast’s major nursery for brackish water and estuarine fish fauna. It supports a wide variety of wetland habitats ranging from tidal rivers and creeks to riverine islands and intertidal zones, apart from coastal wetlands along the eastern boundary. Bhitarkanika mangroves has been designated as a Ramsar Site in November 2002.
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the state of Orissa and it is one of the few sanctuaries in India, which has crocodiles and turtles as its prized attractions. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 650 sq km and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975. The sanctuary is a protected zone for estuarine crocodiles. The sanctuary is also home to a number of birds and every year a large number of migratory birds come to nest into the mangrove area. The other animals that you can see at the Bhitarkanika sanctuary include King Cobra, Indian Python and Water Monitor Lizard.
The area supports rich bio-diversity including dense mangroves (63 species), largest population of estuarine crocodiles (1098 as per 2000 census), the rare white crocodile (sankhua), largest Indian lizards (water monitor), poisonous and non-poisonous snakes like king cobra and python, varieties of risident and migratory birds (217 species) and a number of mammalian species (spotted deer, sambar, wildboar, fishing cat, jungle cat, otter etc).
Travel Packages
