Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary

About Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location:
  • It is located in the Nuapada district of Odisha, adjoining Chhattisgarh.
  • It adjoins the Sitanadi and Udanti sanctuaries of Chhattisgarh. 
• The sanctuary harbors a great diversity of wildlife habitats with a vast plateau, canyons, and 11 waterfalls.
• It also forms the catchment area of the Jonk River, over which a dam has been constructed to facilitate irrigation.
• Vegetation: The important vegetation of this sanctuary comprises dry deciduous tropical forests.
• Flora:  Bija (Pterocarpus marsupium), Teak(Tectona grandis), Sisoo (Dalbergia latifolia), Asan (Terminalia tomentosa), Dharua (Anogeisus latofolia), Mahul (Madhuca indica), Char (Buchnania lanzan), Sandal wood (Santalum album), Sidha (Lagestroemia parviflora) etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is an ideal habitat for the Barasingha (swamp deer).
  • It also works as a migration link for rare wild Buffaloes between the states of Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
  • Other important animals found are tigers, Leopards, hyenas, Barking Deer, Chital, Gaur, Sambar, Sloth Bear, Hill Myna, etc.

Q1) What is Barasingha?

Swamp Deer or Barasingha as the name suggests in Hindi is a species of deer that has 12, or more than 12 tined set of antlers. Swamp deer is also known as dolhorina; (dol meaning swamp, horina meaning deer) in Assamese and in Central India, it is called goinjak or gaoni.

Source: Tiger kills 65-year-old woman in Odisha wildlife sanctuary, half-eaten body found