SIMILIPAL
TIGER RESERVE (STR) - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Tiger carcass found in
STR, inquiry begins
What's
in the news?
●
The carcass of a Royal Bengal tiger was
found in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district.
Key
takeaways:
●
There was no injury mark on the carcass.
It is suspected that the tiger died due to natural causes. However, the exact
reason behind the death will be known after getting the examination reports.
Similipal
Tiger Reserve (STR):
Location:
●
It is located within the Mayurbhanj
District, in the Northernmost part of Odisha.
●
It is surrounded by high plateaus and hills, the highest peak being the twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini (1515m
above mean sea level).
Features:
●
It was declared a 'Tiger Reserve' in the
year 1956 and included under the national conservation programme 'Project
Tiger' in 1973.
●
The STR, along with a 'transitional area'
of 2250 sq. km, was included as a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in the year 2009.
Terrain:
●
The terrain is mostly undulating and
hilly, interspersed with open grasslands and wooded areas.
Vegetation:
●
It is a mix of different forest types and
habitats, with Northern tropical moist deciduous dominating some semi-evergreen
patches.
●
It is the only landscape in the world that is home to melanistic tigers.
Tribes:
●
The region around STR is home to a variety
of tribes, including Kolha, Santhala,
Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia and Sahara.
Flora:
●
An astounding 1078 species of plants,
including 94 species of orchids, are found here.
●
Sal
is the dominant tree species here.
Fauna:
●
Leopard, Gaur, Elephant, Langur, Barking
and Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear Mongoose, Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Turtle,
Monitor Lizard, Python, Sambar, Pangolin etc.