Similipal declared as National Park

Bhubaneswar/Baripada: The Odisha government on Thursday declared Similipal in Mayurbhanj district as a National Park. Odisha’s Forest, Environment and Climate Change department, in a notification, said by exercising its authority under Section 35(4) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the State government declared Similipal as a National Park. The CMO Odisha, in a post on X, said, “A landmark step towards Viksit Bharat, Viksit Odisha! Similipal is now officially a National Park—the 107th in India and the largest in #Odisha at 845.70 sq km. This long-awaited declaration strengthens our ecological legacy, uplift tribal aspirations and reaffirms Odisha’s commitment to sustainable development.”

Similipal will be the second National Park in Odisha after Bhitarkanika National Park which is spread over 145 sq km in Kendrapara district. Similipal getting National Park status is a big step for conservation in Odisha, said PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden P K Jha. The State government declared Similipal as a National Park after it fulfilled all formalities, an official said.

Initially proposed as a National Park in 1980, Similipal could not get the status due to several factors, including human habitation in the core area. “This long-awaited recognition brings national attention to Similipal’s unparalleled biodiversity, rich tribal legacy and ecological value, making it a proud symbol of Odisha’s green soul,” an official statement said.

The final notification acknowledges Similipal’s multi-layered significance — as a Wildlife Sanctuary, Project Tiger, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Elephant Reserve — now united under the highest national ecological recognition, it said.

Stating that Similipal is one of India’s most unique ecological landscapes, a senior Forest department official said it is home to 40 wild tigers, including the world’s only home to wild melanistic tigers, shelter to 25 per cent of Odisha’s elephant population, host to 104 orchid species and many endemic to the region.

Similipal is also a haven for over 360 species of birds, and diverse mammals like leopards, sambar and mugger crocodiles and others apart from being a lifeline forming key river catchments in northern Odisha, he said. The official said to secure the newly designated National Park and its surrounding ecological corridors, the Forest department is implementing the Greater Similipal Landscape Programme, which includes AI-powered camera towers and trail guard camera systems, V-SAT communication networks for surveillance in remote zones and a dedicated security force including one company of trained police personnel and ex-servicemen.