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.

 

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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