Wildlife of odisha PDF

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WILDLIFE OF ODISHA

WILDLIFE OF ODISHA • The State of Odisha has a geographical area of 155,707 sq km. • The recorded forest area is 48,855 sq.kms as per the State of Forest Report of Forest Survey of India. • For proper protection to the wildlife and their habitat, a total of 18 sanctuaries (Protected Areas) including Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary , Two National Park ,Three Tiger Reserve, one Biosphere Reserve, one closed area (Chilika), one Zoological Park (Nandankanan) and 8 Deer Parks (mini zoos) have been notified for both in-situ and exsitu conservation and management of wildlife.

• The state has the singular distinction of having 3 mass nesting beaches of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles including world’s largest nesting ground of olive ridley seaturtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). • A total of 19 species of amphibians, 110 species of reptiles including three crocodilian species, 473 species of birds and 86 species of mammals have so far been recorded. • The state which include 54 species of threatened animals (17 species of reptiles, 15 species of birds and 22 species of mammals) as per the definition of IUCN Red Data Book. • The state is implementing several research and conservation projects viz; the Project Tiger (1972-73), Integrated Crocodile and Sea Turtle Project (1975-76), Project Elephant (1991-92), Aquatic Bird Project (1992- 93) and Blackbuck Project (1994-95).

Rare & Endangered Species of Odisha Mammals • Leopard cat • Fishing cat • Leopard, Tiger • Indian Pangolin • Gangetic Dolphin • Indian Elephant • Mouse , swamp deer, • Indian Bison or Gaur etc.

Mammals • Marbled cat • Caracal • Wild Buffalo • black buck • Asiatic Lion • Nilgiri Langur • Lion-tiled Macaque • Deer ,Indian Pangolin etc.

Birds

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Giant Heron Asiatic Dowitchers D l ti pelican Dalmatian li Pallas’s fish -eagles

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Indian Skimmer White Spoonbill Eastern White Stork Haircrested Adjutant

Reptiles • • • •

Indian Tent Turtle Indian Flap-shelled Turtle White crocodile (sankhua) Largest Indian lizards (water monitor) • Cobra and python • Fresh water turtle

• Gharial • Estuarine or Saltwater crocodile • Mugger • Leatherback Sea Turtle • Water Monitor • Indian Rock Python • Indian Crocodiles etc. • Olive Readly sea turtle

NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES OF ODISHA • Located in the Mayurbhanj district Similipal with its dense green forests and rich bio-diversity has the unique distinction of being a Tiger Reserve, a National Park ,a Wildlife Sanctuary, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve. • Rare wildlife: Tigers, elephants, leopard, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, gaur,hill myna, hornbills, peacock, python, cobra, lizards etc.

• Nandankanan Zoological Park which together with lake and Botanical garden is declared as sanctuary (4.4 sq. km.). where gharials have bred in captivityBreeding beds. • Endangered species like Asiatic Lion, Indian Crocodiles, Nilgiri Langur, Sangal Liontiled Macaque, Mouse Deer and Indian Pangolin.

3. Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary • Located in the district of Kendrapada, Bhitarkanika harbours rich and unique bio-diversity which has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary and also a National Park.. • The area supports rich bio-diversity including dense mangroves (63 species), largest population of estuarine crocodiles (1098 as per 2000 censu) • Rare wildlife include:

spotted deer, sambar, wildboar, fishing cat, jungle cat and migratory birds (217 species), hill myna, hornbills, peacock ,White crocodile (sankhua), largest Indian lizards (water monitor), poisonous and non-poisonous snakes like king cobra and python.

• The sea beach, borderding the sanctuary attracts thousands of oliveridley sea turtles for mass nesting/egg laying during the winter months (January to April).

4. Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary • Satkosia gorge is a unique feature in geomorphology in India. Located in the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh, Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary (795.52 sq. km.) with sylvan beauty and excellent nature. • Major attraction of the sanctuary is the gorge, river Mahanadi, the Gharial Research and Conservation Unit at Tikarapada. • Important and rare wildlife include : Tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, mouse deer, nilgai, sloth bear, wild dog, migratory birds (217 species), hill myna, hornbills, peacock , gharial, mugger crocodile, fresh water turtle, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes etc.

• Hadagarh sanctuary in the district of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj is close to Hadagarh reservoir of Salandi dam. The area is rich in mixed deciduous forests. • Wildlife which includes tiger, leopard, fishing cat, jungle cat, hyena, elephant, langur, pangolin, a variety of birds and reptiles.

• Adjacent to Satkosia gorge and located in the Nayagarh district, the Baisipalli wildlife sanctuary is having similar and contiguous habitat features as the Satkosia gorge sanctuary. • The well wooded hilly terrain is an excellent habitat for elephants besides other wildlife such as tiger, leopard, Chousingha , Python, King cobra etc.

• Kotagarh wildlife sanctuary located in the Baliguda subdivision of Kandhamal district is rich in biodiversity. •

Major wildlife species are tiger, elephant, gaur, spotted deer, peafowl, red jungle fowl and a variety of reptiles.

• The Khalasuni Wildlife Sanctuary is sited at a distance of 50 km from Sambhalpur town, Rairakhol sub division • Rare species like tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, pea fowl, horn bill and a number of reptilian species. It is an ideal place for nature lovers and tourists.

• Twenty kilometers from the centre of temple city of Bhubaneswar lies Chandka-Dampara Sanctuary (175,79 sq.km.). • The mixed tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests with miscellaneous species, bamboo and planted teak provide ideal habitat for elephant. The natural water body and forests provide suitable nesting ground for 82 species of migratory and resident birds. •

elephant (83 nos.), leopard, hyena, spotted deer, wild dog, wild boar, pangolin etc.

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pea fowl, red jungle fowl, white ibis, dab chicks, open bill stork, egret etc.

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python, monitor lizard etc

• This sanctuary is situated at convenient location along sea coast between Puri and Konark. • The prominent fauna includes blackbuck, spotted deer, monkey, squirrel, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, mongoose , variety of birds and endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. • This sanctuary is located in the district of Balasore and is blessed with a charming forest. • Rare species of wildlife such as tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, giant squirrel, a number of bird species like hill myna, peafowl, hornbills and various reptiles. The sanctuary is linked with Similipal through Sukhupada hills and Nato hill ranges.

• The combination of dry deciduous mixed forests with rich wildlife, Hirakud reservoir, attractive topographical features are the important features of Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary. • Other prominent fauna includes tiger, leopard, gaur, sambar, spotted deer,sloth bear, resident and migratory birds, monitor lizards, chameleon etc. • This sanctuary, located in the district of Gajapati is rich with tropical mixed deciduous forest, hills, perennial water sources • Variety of wildlife such as tiger, hyena, elephant, deer, sambar and a variety of birds and reptiles. • This sanctuary can be approached from Berhampur, Taptapani (famous for its hot water spring) and Chandragiri.

• Chilika, the largest brackish water wetland (1000 sq. km approx.) in the country is situated in the east coast of the state in the district of Puri, Ganjam and Khurda • Over 167 species of resident and 94 species of migratory birds including flamingo, white bellied sea eagle, spotbilled pelican, barheaded goose, openbilled stork, spoonbill, ibis, heron, egret etc. Endangered lrrawady Dolphin but their population is under much pressure. • Badarama sanctuary also popularly known as Usakothi, located in the district of Sambalpur, 48 km. from Sambalpur. It’s a prominent and attractive location in western Odisha with hilly and rich dry deciduous mixed forests. • Wide variety of fauna

including tiger, leopard, elephant, hyena, wildboar, spotted deer, sambar, bear, porcupine and a number of birds, reptiles etc.

• Located close to the boundary of Chhatisgarh state on the western fringe of Odisha in the newly created Nuapada district, this sanctuary covers 600 sq. km. of dry deciduous forests. • 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 small but beautiful sanctuary is located close to Bhawanipatna town and about 12 km. from Kalahandi district covering a dense patch of lush green dry deciduous forest. • This sanctuary is rich

• Gahirmatha is the only marine sanctuary of Odisha. • The marine sanctuary extends from Dhamra river mouth in the north to Mahanadi river mouth in south. • The sanctuary limits extend 20 km. into the sea. • It has been created to protect the • Gahirmatha is known in the world oven as a unique massnesting site (rookery) of the olive ridley on the calm sandy shores of the Bay of Bengal.

Conservation education on wildlife • The Constitution of India [Article-51-A (g)] - Fundamental Duties, It shall be the duty of every citizen of India, to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. • Conservation education becomes a necessary management tool to inform and impart knowledge, particularly to local communities, as well as to enhance indigenous and traditional knowledge that is useful for conservation. • To sustainably conserve and manage wildlife and its habitats like national parks , sanctuaries etc. is to be done in collaboration with the govt dept. and non govt org.

Important point for Conservation Education: The challenge of poaching • Poaching poses the greatest challenge that wildlife heritage, especially endangered species such as the rhino, deer and elephant. Some cats, especially leopards, are also targeted by the poachers for their pelts, which are in great demand. Many other animal species are killed either for their skins, trophies, or other parts. Human–wildlife conflicts • Now a days Human–wildlife conflicts is a big peoblem . The problem is growing by the day as more and more land is brought under cultivation, Human settlements are on increase, thus reducing areas available to wildlife, and increasing chances of interaction between people and dangerous animals.

Wildlife utilization • Wildlife habitats have shrunk drastically over the last four decades. Wildlife, however, remains an important cog in the tourism industry and up to 80% of safaris in depend on wildlife. • Wild animals are used for ecotourism, personal, commercial, and educational purposes. Target audience • Target for conservation education for schools and colleges , universities, research institute etc. • Most of what constitutes conservation education is covered in the school curriculum in different subjects.

How to benefit from wildlife • Wildlife is an essential component of various food chains, food webs, biogeochemical cycles and energy flow through various trophic levels. Preserves vitality and health of environment and provides stability to various ecosystems.

Conservation education programs emphasizes the values and benefits attached to wildlife, the need for its conservation, and the enhancement of human–wildlife co-existence and tolerance. Education, therefore, becomes an effective means to achieve the target goal for important matters of wildlife conservation.

Ethics of wildlife conservation • Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world, its fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. • Ethics of wildlife was prepared on the basis of Animal Welfare • Wild animals have always been a critical resource for human beings. Historically for food, fur, and leather were key to human survival — more recently, wildlife has assumed high economic and cultural significance. • Wild animals provide entertainment in circuses, zoos, and wildlife parks, they form a central attraction in international tourism, and they are key members of ecosystems on which humans rely for vital services.

• Assisting in achieving the conservation and survival of species must be the aim of all members of the profession. • Promote the interests of wildlife conservation, biodiversity and animal welfare to colleagues and to society at large. • Co-operate with the wider conservation community including wildlife agencies, conservation organisations and research i tit ti institutions tto assist i t iin maintaining i t i i global l b l bi biodiversity di it • Co-operate with governments and other appropriate bodies to improve standards of animal welfare. • Encourage research and dissemination of achievements and results in appropriate publications and forums. • Promote public education programmes and cultural recreational activities of zoos and aquariums.

The conservation strategies programmes and policies:

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following

Protection of threatened/useful plants and animals species living in natural habitats, zoological and botanical gardens, seed gene, tissue culture and DNA banks. Preservation of critical habitats of animal and plant species plus the management of life supporting systems in the surrounding habitats. habitats Hunting and international trade in wild animals and plants products should be regulated and a strict vigil should be maintained upon these actions. Role of government and NGOs in spreading awareness programmes among common people about values of wildlife and it’s conservation.

wildlife Conservation Two methods of Conservations namely in-situ conservation in its natural habitat. • Ex-situ conservation outside the natural habitat. This system of protected areas includes different categories such as :  National parks  Biosphere reserver  Wildlife Sanctuaries  World haritage sites, national monuments/ cultural landscape. This is the conservation outside their habitats  Gene bank  Botanical gardens  Aquaria  Tissue culture technique  DNA Technology...