In a bid to ensure wildlife sanctuaries are safe havens for wildlife and people, the government of Odisha has established many wildlife sanctuaries but these 10 wildlife sanctuaries across the state are more famous. These sanctuaries were created to ensure that the wildlife in the region is not disturbed or manhandled. Instead, they provide them with a space where they can live freely and be allowed to grow naturally.
While these sanctuaries may not be as famous as national parks like Similipal National Park or Bhitarkanika National Park, they are still worth exploring. Here’s an incomplete list of top wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha –
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the district of Sambalpur, Odisha. It is one of the most popular sanctuaries in the state and is a must-visit for wildlife lovers. The sanctuary offers a wide variety of wildlife habitats including mangroves, salt marshes, and open forests. The various species thriving here include Indian elephant, leopard, lion, tiger, wild dog, gaur, sambar deer, spotted deer, water buffalo, chital deer, and wild pig. The sanctuary provides excellent opportunities for bird-watching and safari activities. There are several accommodation options available at the sanctuary including camping sites and cottages.
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is easily accessible by road and can be reached in about two hours from Bhubaneswar via National Highway 7. The sanctuary offers an extensive network of trails for trekking and hiking to enjoy a peaceful environment free from disturbances.
The Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary is a great place to spend a day out with family or friends as it has many attractions for everyone. Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing on several trails or bird watching from the mangrove belt or the beach at Gopi Talab village. Besides this, there are numerous other adventure activities like fishing, canoeing, and water sports to keep them busy. Overall Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is an ideal destination for wildlife enthusiasts looking for serene surroundings filled with natural beauty and diversity.
Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary is a beautiful wildlife sanctuary in the state of Odisha. The sanctuary is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, tigers, leopards, deer, and birds. Among the animals found at the sanctuary are gaur, bison, sambar deer, chow chows, porcupines, hyenas, wild water buffalo, and spotted deer.
The sanctuary is also home to a wide range of bird species, such as egrets, kingfishers, darters, herons, peafowls, and black-winged stilts. Visitors can enjoy bird-watching activities at the sanctuary. There are several lodges available for visitors to stay at the sanctuary. These lodges offer wildlife-watching tours and wildlife safaris.
The sanctuary offers educational programs for children. It has bird sanctuaries where kids can learn more about birds through crafts and games. This sanctuary offers round-the-clock security monitoring by trained personnel. It also has several lodges to stay at and several tourist activities like bird watching and safari rides for visitors to enjoy. Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary is a great place to take a vacation and enjoy nature!
Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
If you are a wildlife lover and want to visit an iconic wildlife sanctuary, then Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary should be your first choice. This wildlife sanctuary is situated in the Baliguda subdivision of the Kandhamal district of Odisha. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of animals, including Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, Jackals, and Others. The sanctuary offers bird-watching, camping sites, trekking routes, and adventure activities such as water sports and horse riding.
Apart from this, it’s open from 8 am to 6 pm on Monday to Thursday and 8 am to 10 pm on weekends. Entrance into the sanctuary is free for all visitors. There are multiple restaurants and hotels in the vicinity of the sanctuary which you can easily access by a short drive from Godhiau bazar (an important town in Sundergarh district). All these make Kotagarh a viable and exciting wildlife destination for everyone.
Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Satkosia Tiger Reserve is one of the 10 best wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha. The reserve is home to Indian tigers, elephants, and a variety of other animals. It is located in the state’s Malkangiri district. The reserve is well-connected and offers plenty of activities for visitors. These include bird watching, wildlife viewing, trekking, and other activities.
The reserve has lodges and campsites available for visitors. These provide a pleasant stay for wildlife enthusiasts. They offer panoramic views of the reserve and are ideal for wildlife photography sessions. Visitors can also interact with wild animals at these lodges and campsites by feeding them or taking them on a ride.
Satkosia Tiger Reserve has an excellent opportunity to spot rare animals like tiger leopard, bison, gaur, sambhar deer, gaur, wild pig, water deer, chital deer, mouflon sheep, and gharial crocodile. It is an excellent place to learn about India’s rich wildlife heritage as well as wildlife conservation efforts.
Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary
Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in Odishaspread across the districts of Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam. The Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to Blackbuck, Spotted Deer, Golden Jackals, Hyenas, and many more species. Besides housing a variety of aquatic wildlife, Chilka Lake sanctuary also houses prawns, dolphins, crabs, crustaceans, and limbless lizards.
The sanctuary offers visitors an opportunity to learn more about these species and their habitats. It has several lodges and campsites for visitors to stay at. These facilities include hygienic messes and staff with varied experiences to cater to the different requirements of visitors. Besides these, there are many activities such as hiking, bird-watching, and safari rides that can be done at the sanctuary. Additionally, there are facilities available for visitors who want to know more about Odia’s culture and history.
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is located in the Bay of Bengal. The sanctuary is home to a large variety of aquatic and land animals, including dolphins, whales, and sea turtles.
Olive Ridley Turtles can be seen in the Turtle Sanctuary, which is a part of Gahirmatha Beach. An experience rife with pure exhilaration and adrenaline is taking a boat across a river and gradually advancing toward the open sea. These turtles make a long journey from the South Pacific Ocean to reproduce on the Gahirmatha shore. Every year, some 500,000 of these species come to the beach to mate.
Gahirmatha approximately has an area of 1435 square kilometers and stretches from the mouth of the Mahanadi River in the south to the mouth of the Dhamra River in the north. The Odisha government designated Gahirmatha as a turtle sanctuary in 1979 in an effort to protect the tiniest species of sea turtles.
Simlipal National Park
Simlipal National Park is a protected area in the state of Odisha. The park is known for its diverse wildlife, which includes elephants, leopards, wild dogs, and deer. Among these animals, the tiger and the elephant are prominent.
Hyenas, Common Languor, Barking Deer, Sambar, Chital, Porcupine, Pangolin, Pythons, Wild Boar, Leopard, and more. Peafowl, Jungle Fowl, Hill Myna, Parakeets, various Eagles, etc. are some of the most often encountered birds at this national park. Various lodges and campsites are available to tourists in Simlipal National Park.
The park is well-marked and has several tourist centers where you can find information about the wildlife and attractions of the park. Besides, various routes allow you to explore different parts of the national park at your leisure.
Simlipal National Park is a great place to spend a day out with family or friends. Whether you’re into bird-watching or hiking, Simlipal National Park has something for everyone. It’s a must-visit destination for anyone visiting Odisha!
Bhitarkanika National Park
Bhitarkanika National Park is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha. The park boasts a variety of wildlife, including saltwater crocodiles, Indian pythons, black ibis, wild boars, elephants, rhesus monkeys, chital, darter, cobra, and monitor lizards. Olive ridley turtles nest on Gahirmatha and other nearby beaches.
The park is well-maintained and features a variety of tourist attractions such as elephant rides and bird watching. The park is easily accessible and offers an excellent opportunity to learn about wildlife conservation. There are several accommodation options available in the park.
Bhitarkanika National Park is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Odisha Tourism has recently launched a special package for tourists visiting the park. The package includes various privileges such as free entry into the park, exhibition fee waiver, water sports facility fee waiver, and bird Watching facility fee waiver. Now, with all these privileges, it is easier for people to visit Bhitarkanika National Park and experience wildlife at its best
Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary – Enjoy The Exotic Safari Ride & Wildlife
The Nandankanan wildlife sanctuary in Odisha offers visitors a chance to experience an exotic safari ride and see various animals, including elephants, tigers, and lions. Other attractions at the sanctuary include waterfalls, water bodies, and a botanical garden. The sanctuary is open from November to March, and admission is free of charge. To get to the Nandankanan wildlife sanctuary, take the bus from Cuttack or Puri.
This destination offers tourists a chance to enjoy an exotic safari ride and see various species of animals, including elephants, tigers, and lions. Besides waterfalls and water bodies, there’s also a botanical garden at the sanctuary for visitors to enjoy. The best time to visit is between November and March as this is when the tiger migrates to Nandankanan wildlife sanctuary. Odisha Tourism has more information on top wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha with wildlife safaris and wildlife lodges.
Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary – View The Endangered Bird Species
Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha. It was established on 4 January 1984, to protect the wildlife and biodiversity of the region. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of endangered bird species. Some of them include Blyth’s tragopan, bharal, gharial, mugil, vulturine deersword, black-bellied deer, spotted deer, sambar deer, leopard cat, golden jackal, and wild boar.
The sanctuary offers visitors a chance to view birds up close and learn about their ecology and behavior. The best time to visit the sanctuary is during sunrise and sunset hours. You can bird watch at Kuldiha Wilduard’s visitor center or on trails that lead you through the forest or along the riverbanks.
Conclusion
These sanctuaries are unique in the sense that they contain some of the most endangered wildlife species of Odisha. The sanctuaries serve as sanctuaries for wildlife and also act as tourist attractions. Travel to these wildlife sanctuaries and you will be able to experience a truly authentic wildlife safari of Odisha. They range from bird sanctuaries, mangrove forests, tiger reserves, and marine sanctuaries, so there is something for every nature lover.