Bhitar Kanika Wildlife Sanctuary :India February 10, 2006
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the state of Orissa and it is one of the few sanctuaries in India, which has crocodiles and turtles as its prized attractions. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 650 sq km and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975. The sanctuary is a protected zone for estuarine crocodiles. The sanctuary is also home to a number of birds and every year a large number of migratory birds come to nest into the mangrove area. The other animals that you can see at the Bhitarkanika sanctuary include King Cobra, Indian Python and Water Monitor Lizard.
Located in the deltaic region of Brahmani and Baitarani on the north – eastern coast of India, the Bhitarkanika mangroves represent one of the finest remaining patches of mangrove forests, along the entire Indian coast. With two and half decades of continued conservation measures, this area has emerged as one of the well known coastal wetlands.
The sea beach, borderding the sanctuary attracts thousands of olive ridley sea turtles for mass nesting/ egg laying during the winter months (January to April). Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem is unique of its kind and it is a best reptile refuge in the entire country.
The forest type of Bhitar Kanika is one of mangrove like the Sunderbans of West Bengal. The nearest railway station from the sanctuary is Bhadrak, about 77 kilometers away. The nearest town of Chandbali is situated about 35 kilometers from the sanctuary and the nearest airport at Bhubaneswar at a distance of about 200 kilometers. To reach Bhitar Kanika one has to take a watercraft from Chandbali. There is a regular ferry service fro Chandbali to Dangmal. At Dangmal there is a Forest Rest House where one can get night accommodation. Just the side of Dangmal situates the sanctuary. A crocodile project was established at Dangmal where there is a rare white variety of crocodile. The mangrove forests of Bhitar Kanika includes floral species like sundari, been and excaecaria, and faunal species like spotted deer, sambar, wild pig, leopard and porcupine. After crossing Bhitar Kanika, there is another marine sanctuary called the Gahirmatta Sanctuary.
- Posted in : Wild Life in India, Wildlife Sanctuaries
- Author : seo4india
Fatal error: Call to undefined function tla_ads() in /home/tworld/domains/india-ecotourism.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/regulus/comments.php on line 1