-: SIMILIPAL WILDLIFE :-

Situated in : Orissa
Location : Mayurbhanj District, Orissa
Coverage Area : 2,750-sq-km
Rain Fall : 1st November to 15th June. December to february is extremely Cold
Main Attraction : Tigers, Leopards, Elephants and Mugger Crocodiles 
Best Time To Visit : Open from 10th November to 15th June in every season.

About Similipal National park :-

Simlipal National Park is one of the earliest to come under Project Tiger. It was declared as one of the nine tiger project reserves in the country in 1973. It was declared a sanctury in 1979.
Similipal is in the eastern end of the eastern ghats and classified in the Chhotanagpur biotic province of the Mahanadian bio-geographical region. The transition zone of the Reserve has 1200 villages whose total population is about 4.5 lakhs. The tribals constitute about 73% of this population. The forests and the biodiversity resources to a great extent sustain the livelihood of these people. The forest and wildlife in the sanctuary, and the human population and cattle living in close proximity impact on each other. The Management Action Plan for the BR seeks to put emphasis on suitable programmes of eco-development in the transition zone and also to a limited extent in buffer zone, to promote various alternative livelihood options, and thereby to reduce people's pressure on the forests

Similipal Tiger Reserve :- The Simlipal National Park, one of the earliest to come under Project Tiger, is located in the forest belt of north Orissa. It was the erstwhile hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Mayurbhanj. Simlipal, covering an area of 2,750 sq kms was declared, in 1973, as one of the nine tiger project reserves in the country. A vast tract of stately sal forests, beautiful waterfalls and grassy valleys, twelve rivers run across its expanse. It is home to panthers, tigers, gaur bison, antelopes, sambar, mouse deer - the tiniest of the deer family, mugger or crocodiles, and more than 223 species of birds.

Flora :-

The Simlipal national park is a treasure house of 501 species of plants belonging to 102 families. 82 species of orchids have also been identified here. It has a mixed type of vegetation with Northern tropical semi-evergreen trees and Northern tropical moist deciduous trees. Plus, dry deciduous hill forest and high level Sal forests. The grasslands and the savannas provide grazing grounds for the herbivores and hiding place to the carnivores. The forest boasts of innumerable medicinal and aromatic plants, which provide a source of earnings for the tribals.

Accommodation :-

Since the tourist facilities are not well developed, there are a very few options for accommodation. The entrances to the park are on the western side at Jashipur or more conveniently at Baripada. There is a Forest Rest house at Baripada. Advance booking is officially required for all the forest lodges/ rest houses through the Field Director of Project Tiger - Baripada, Mayurbhunj district. About 10 km inside the park (35 km from the Baripada) is the Aranya Niwas Tourist Lodge at Lulung

How to Reach:

By Air:
The nearest airports to the place are Kolkata (240 kms) and Bhubaneswar (320 kms). Each of these airports is connected to other major cities of India with regular airline operations.

By Rail:
Balasore railhead ( 56-km from Baripada ) and Tata railhead ( 115-km from Jashipur). 

By Road:
Simlipal is well connected by network of roads with other parts of the country. Regular buses ply on the routes of Lulung (20 kms) and Jashipur (95 kms); the entry points for the Simlipal National Park from the nearest town of Baripada. Also one can hire private taxis or cabs to reach the Park.

Where to Stay:

In terms of accommodation the Simlipal National Park offers bungalows, rest houses, tourist lodges and hotels. Though the accommodation options are comfortable they are not luxurious. The basic facilities are available at Barehapani, Newana, Joranda, Joshipur, Gudgudia and Lulung. The forest department maintains many of the bungalows in the vicinity of the Simlipal National Park. The town of Baripada, just outside the park, offers good hotels and lodges to the tourists.

Best time to visit: October to mid-June