Orissa Wildlife Tourism

Orissa Wildlife Tourism

Bhitar Kanika National Park

The Bhitar Kanika National Park in Balesore district is better known as a marine park. The park with its mangrove forests in the rivers Brahmani- Bhaitarani Delta and creeks, estuaries, back water, accreted land and mud flats was mainly established to protect the saltwater crocodile and other marine inhabitants of the region. The Fauna of the park include Olive ridley turtles, saltwater crocodiles, wild pigs, rhesus monkeys, leopard, wild boar, hyena, jungle cat, sambar, giant squirrel, water monitor, chitals, king cobra, python, fishes besides insects and other micro fauna. Birds found are strokes, ibis, white necked sea eagle and fish eagle etc.

Simlipal National Park

The Simlipal National Park in Orissa, is home to twelve rivers and innumerable waterfalls and the native Santhal tribes of Orissa. Besides tigers the other animals found at the Simlipal National Park include chausingha, sambhar, mouse deer, chital, leopards, elephants, langurs, spotted deer, barking deer or munjtac, wild dogs, wild boars, sloth bears, gazelles, nilgai, ratels, rhesus macaque, chinkaras, chevrotains, jungle cat, elephants, hyenas, porcupines, monkeys, jackals, gaurs, black-faced langur monkey, mugger crocodiles, turtles, snakes, bison, monitor lizards, panthers, flying squirrels, and mongooses.

Nandankanan National Park

The Nandankanan National Park located at a distance of 20 kms from Bhubaneshwar is a beautiful biological park where flora and fauna flourish in their natural habitat. The park houses the very first captive gharial breeding centre of the country. The zoo at Nandakanan is world-renowned for its white tigers. Tigers, Lions, Clouded Leopards, Black Panthers, European Brown Bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Gharials, Rosy Pelican, Grey Pelican, Indian Python, King Cobra, etc. are among the attractions of the region.

Balpakram National Park

The Balpakram National Park is a great precipice or deep gorge in Balpakram and is a vast tableland of dense forest, teeming with wild life. It is home to the rare Lesser Panda, the Indian bison and the Stag like Serow.

Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary

The Sunabeda Sanctuary located close to the boundary of Chhatisgarh state on the western fringe of Orissa has eleven waterfalls, Ranimuhas caves, archaeological sites like Giribaman, Jumlagarh Fort and Muraguda, and the bird observation points at Jalki and Raital Bandh in Maraguda. 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.

Chilka Bird Sanctuary

The Chilika Bird sanctuary situated on the east-coast of India is the largest brackish Water Lagoon with estuarine character. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent. The lake has more than 350 species of non-aquatic plants.

It also has the record of hosting over 800 species in and around the lagoon.

Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary

The Satkosia Gorge sanctuary is unique with the gorge formed by the river Mahanadi. The area has moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and moist peninsular sal forests. The animals include tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, mouse deer, nilgai, choushingha, sloth bear, wild dog etc., varieties of resident and migratory birds and reptilian species are also found.

Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has crocodiles and turtles as its prized attractions. It is also the home to a number of birds. The animals 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).