Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary

In a recent incident at Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Balasore district, forest officials apprehended a poacher during a confrontation involving gunfire. The poacher’s uncle, however, managed to escape.

Overview of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary

• Situated in Odisha’s Balasore district, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary lies within the Eastern Ghats and spans an area of 272 square kilometers.
• The sanctuary forms a vital part of the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hadgarh Elephant Reserve, playing a key role in elephant conservation.
• It shares ecological connectivity with the Simlipal Tiger Reserve through the Nato and Sukhupada hill ranges.
• The sanctuary is interlaced with a number of streams, including the Kuldiha stream and its branches.
• The forest landscape includes a blend of coastal Sal forests and moist mixed deciduous forests, extending into the Nilgiri forest to the north and Mayurbhanj forest to the west.

Flora and Fauna

• The sanctuary hosts a wide variety of plant species such as sal (Shorea robusta), jamun (Syzygium cumini), piyasal (Pterocarpus marsupium), bahera (Terminalia bellirica), mango (Mangifera indica), and simul (Bombax ceiba).
• It supports several threatened and endangered species including the Asiatic elephant, leopard, gaur, mouse deer, pangolin, ratel, and giant squirrel.
• Birdlife is equally rich, with sightings of rare species like the hill myna, hornbill, eagle, and various woodpeckers.