Introduction and Background

  • Similipal National Park has recently been declared as the second national park of Odisha by the state government, following the Bhitarkanika.
  • This marks Similipal as the 107th national park in India. The park is renowned for being the lone home to wild melanistic tigers globally.
  • It accommodates an impressive array of wildlife, including 40 royal Bengal tigers, representing 25% of Odisha's elephant population, and over 100 orchid species, many of which are specific to the region.

 

Geographical Significance

  • Similipal, nestled in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, belongs to the Deccan Peninsular Biogeographic Zone, Chhotanagpur Province, and Mahanadian Region.
  • The national park features a captivating landscape with high plateaus and hills encapsulating it. The highest peaks are the twin summits of Khairiburu and Meghashini.
  • The well-known waterfalls of Barehipani and Joranda also add to the scenic presentation of the park.

 

Biodiversity and Ecosystem

  • The forests of Similipal offer diverse plant life consisting of sal trees, moist deciduous, and semi-evergreen plants, forming a dynamic and flourishing habitat for an array of flora and fauna.
  • The abundant variety of ungulate species in the region includes sambar (Rusa unicolor), chital (Axis axis), barking deer (Muntiacus vaginalis), gaur (Bos gaurus), and mouse deer (Moschiola indica).

 

National Park Status and Its Significance

  • The declared area of the park, which is 845.70 sq/km, will now be a ‘rights free’ area, indicating that no human activities will be permitted in this expanse.
  • The remaining part of the total 2,750 sq/km area will serve as a wildlife sanctuary wherein limited human activities are allowed.

 

Future Conservation Strategies

The Greater Similipal Landscape Programme has been launched with the goal of safeguarding the newly designated national park and its surrounding ecological corridors.