Similipal National Park

Prelims (GS I) – Current events of national and international importance| Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change.

Mains (GS I) – Conservation

Why in news?

Recently, the Odisha government officially notified Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) as a National Park.

• Similipal National Park – Is the 107^th national park in India and 2^nd national park in Odisha.

Similipal is also a wildlife sanctuary, tiger reserve, UNESCO biosphere reserve and elephant reserve.

• Location – Similipal in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
• Vegetation – Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, Semi-Evergreen Forests, Dry Deciduous Forests, Grasslands.
• Fauna of Similipal National Park:
  • Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera Tigris) - 40
  • Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) - 25% of Odisha’s elephant population
  • Leopard (Panthera pardus)
  • Sambar (Rusa unicolor)
  • Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)
  • 360 species of birds

The tigers of Similipal possess higher-than-normal levels of melanin, giving them coats that are blacker with yellow stripes and are described as pseudo-melanistic tiger.

The pseudo-melanistic tiger is a colour variant of the Bengal tiger and its strange coat is a result of a mutation in a particular gene.

Greater Similipal Landscape Programme

• It is a conservation initiative by the Odisha Forest Department to conserve Similipal national park and its surrounding ecological corridors.
• Key Components of the programme:
• AI-powered camera towers systems for real-time wildlife monitoring and poaching prevention.
• V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) communication networks to ensure surveillance in remote, connectivity-challenged zones.
• Diversifying Tiger population by introduction of two female tigers from Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and to increase tiger population to 100 by 2036.
• Community Engagement – Integrated with the Ama Similipal Yojana, which focuses on:
  • Livelihood enhancement and skill training for local tribal communities (e.g., Kolha, Santhala, Khadia).
  • Promotion of eco-tourism and cultural tourism to generate income while raising conservation awareness.

Reference

The Indian Express| Similipal designated Odisha’s second national park