THE SIMILIPAL TIGER RESERVE NATIONAL PARK IN ODISHA
Similipal National Park ::- Similipal Is A National Park And Tiger Reserve In The Mayurbhanj District In Odisha State, India. The Tiger Reserve Is Spread Over 2750 sq km And has Some Beautiful Waterfalls Like Joranda And Borehipani. The Park is Surrounded By High Plateaus And hills, The Highest Peak Being The Twin Peaks Of Khairiburu And Maghashini (1515m Above Mean Sea Level). At Least Twelve Rivers Cut Across The Plain Area. All Of Which drain Into The Bay Of Bengal.
The Park Is Known For The Tiger, Elephant And Hill Mynah. It Holds The Highest Tiger population In The State Of odisha. 55 Species Of Mammals,304 Spices Of Birds,60 Spices Of Reptiles, 21 Spices Of Frogs,38 Spices Of Fish And 164 Spices Of Butterflies Have Been Recorded From The Park. Apart From The Tiger, The Major Mammals Are Leopard, Sambar, Barking Deer, Gaur, Jingle Cat, Wild Boar, Four-Horned Antelope, Giant Squirrel And Common Langur. Grey Horn bill, Indian Pied Horn bill And Malabar Pied Horn Bill Are Also Found Here. The Park Also Has a Sizable Population Of Reptiles, Which Include The Longest Venomous Snake, The King Cobra And The Tricarinate Hill Turtle.
The Park Is a Treasure House Of 1076 Spices Of Plants Belonging To 102 Families. 96 Spices Of Orchids Have Identified Here. It Lies In The Eastern Highlands Moist Deciduous Forests Eco region, With Tropical Moist Broad leaf Forest And Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests With Dry deciduous Hill Forest And High Level Sal Forests. The Grasslands And The Savannas Provide Grazing Grounds For Herbivores And Hiding Place To The Carnivores. The Forest Boasts Of Innumerable Medicinal And Aromatic Plants, Which Provide A Source Of Earnings For The Tribal People. Eucalyptus, Planted By The British During The 1990s Are Found.
Similipal Elephant Reserve Originated Mainly As A Hunting Ground For The Royalty. It Was Formally Designated A Tiger Reserve In 1956 And Under Project Tiger In May 1973 Mugger Crocodile Scheme Was Started In 1979 At Ramatirtha, Jashipur. The Government Of Odisha Declared Similipal As A Wildlife Sanctuary In 1979 With An Area Of 2,200 Square Kilometers (850 Sq mi). Later In 1980, The State Government Proposed 303 Square Kilometers (117 Sq Mi) Of The Sanctuary As A National Park Was Increased To 845.70 Square Kilometers (326.53 Sq Mi). Government Of India Declared Similipal As A Biosphere Reserve In 1994. There Are 10,000 People Living In 61 Villages In The Forest. That Is Why Similipal Is Yet To Be Declared A Full Fledged Park, Despite Its Having The Statue Of One Of The 18 Biosphere Of India.
How To Go ::- Baripada Is The Most Accessible Point To Reach The National Park Which Is At The Distance Of 270 Kms From Bhubaneswar, 240 Kms From Kolkata, 55 Kms From Balasore And 16 Kms From Pithabata. Nearest Railway Station Is Balasore And Nearest Airport Is Bhubaneswar And Kolkata.
0 Comments