Three poachers arrested from Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary
The gang was actively indulged in wildlife poaching activity in recent past. They were adept in the poaching of wild boar and deer species.
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the country’s second largest mangrove forest, enriched coastal ecology and biodiversity, has turned 50.
The coastal patches spread across 672 square km were declared the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in 1975.
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The core area of the sanctuary, with an area of 145 km, got Bhitarkanika National Park tag in September 1998.
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Bhitarkanika National Park is famous for its lush-green mangroves, migrating birds and turtles, estuarine crocodiles and countless creeks.
The rich biodiversity of Bhitarkanika serves as a sanctuary for leopard, wild boar, jungle cat, fishing cat, hyena, sambar, striped palm squirrel, gangetic dolphin while reptiles found comprise turtles including Olive Ridley sea turtle, crocodile, lizard, water monitors, python, and king cobra. Around 166 species of birds have been spotted in the park.
Bhitarkanika is acclaimed as one of the richest storehouses of mangrove genes in the country. Researchers have found 11 of the 70 mangrove species, which were at elevated threat of extinction in the world, in Bhitarkanika.
Bhitarkanika has scripted a remarkable success in saltwater conservation efforts. Now 1811 crocodiles are now residing in Bhitarkanika as per January 2024 census report. This serves as a testament to the success of our crocodile conservation efforts, said Dr Sudhakar Kar, a former wildlife researcher of the forest department.
The Forest Department will organize functions round the year to mark the golden jubilee of Bhitarkanika, said Sudrashan Gopinath Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer of Bhitarkanika.
In 1999 when coastal Odisha was devastated by Super Cyclone, mangrove forest had then acted as a bio-shield and emerged as a savior. The mangrove-forested regions successfully withstood the strong wind velocity and tidal surge triggered by the severe cyclonic storm and Nature’s fury did not impact the region as it was the case in other coastal pockets.
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