Similipal Biosphere Reserve 

About Similipal Biosphere Reserve: It was formally designated a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in May 1973. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1979 with an area of 2750 sq. Km. 

Origin of Name: The park derives its name from ‘Simul’, which are red silk cotton trees growing in the area. 

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: The park was declared a biosphere reserve by the Government of India in 1994. It is a part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009. 

Location: Simlipal biosphere reserve located in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. It is the 7th largest national park in India and Asia’s second-largest Biosphere Reserve. It lies in the eastern end of the Eastern Ghat.  

Part of: Similipal is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve. Other Protected Areas Include: 

1. Similipal Tiger Reserve, 
2. Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary 
3. Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary  

Flora: The park has a high biodiversity with about 94 species of orchids and 3,000 species of plants. Among them, Sal is a dominant tree species in the park. 

Fauna: The park is home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, and chausingha. It also has a sizeable population of reptiles, which includes the longest venomous snake, the King cobra, and the Tricarinate hill turtle. 

Rivers: At least 12 rivers cut across the plain area, all of which drain into the Bay of Bengal. The prominent among them are Burhabalanga,  Palpala Bandan,  Salandi,  Kahairi and Deo. It is also home to some beautiful waterfalls like Joranda and Barehipani Falls.

Tribes: The two tribes namely Erenga Kharias and the Mankirdias inhabit the reserve’s forests. Other dominant tribes include the Ho, Gonda, and Munda among others. 

Threats:  

Forest Fires in the Simlipal National Park: The forest fires seemed to be both due to natural causes and human-made causes. 

• Natural causes: lighting or even soaring temperatures can sometimes result in these fires. Moreover, the forests of Similipal are of a dry deciduous type and the fallen leaves become highly inflammable if there is no precipitation. 

Man-Made Causes:

• Poaching and hunting: the poachers set a small patch of forest on fire to divert the wild animals. It can lead to forest fires. 
• Sometimes, Forest areas are set on fire by the villagers to clear the dry leaves on the ground for easy collection of mahua flowers. These flowers are used to prepare a drink that is addictive in nature.